Vaccinating Your Herd: by / MIKAYLA WHERLE Vaccinating your swineherd can be a daunting and time-consuming process. Individual farms tend to be more susceptible to certain diseases depending on local factors, so it is important to be aware of what diseases are present in your area when making your vaccination decisions. Working with a licensed veterinarian to build a vaccination program that fits your operation will create better protection. Keep detailed records of vaccinations to ensure you’re always up to date and have the best protection possible. Operations that are currently showing pigs either on a circuit or at the local fair have the greatest risk of getting a disease. Your operations are also at increased risk for disease if you have a lot of turn over of breeding stock or contact with other pigs, or if there are other swine farms in close proximity. We tend to lump the deworming program in with the vaccination program for ease of records and handling of the pigs. Deworming will ensure that there are no parasites that can slow growth
or make the pigs sick. Remember to use both injectable Ivermectin and feed Ivermectin. All pigs should be vaccinated for Parvovirus, leptospirosis, and erysipelas. These diseases can cause reproductive failure. Many producers use a combination vaccine-like FarrowSure GOLD or FarrowSure GOLD B to take care of all three. This vaccination may be required in order to sell pigs at certain places, so always check the rules. Another common vaccine given is to help prevent scours caused by bacteria such as Escherichia Coli and Clostridium Perfringens Type C. Scours in nursing pigs can cause loss of growth or sometimes death. A common vaccine used for this purpose is LitterGuard LT-C. The last traditional vaccine given is Respisure, which protects against Mycoplasma Pneumonia. Pneumonia is a disease you can end up chasing all year if it gets into your pigs. It can end in poor growth and sometimes death.
Biosecurity matters.
Pig farmers everywhere are working hard to protect their herd against diseases through various animals medicine when they are sick, similar to how we all go to the doctor when we aren’t feel prevention measure that keeps pigs’ health as the number one priority. Here are some steps you can use in your own herd to keep your pigs healthy: • Wash and sanitize trailers, pens and equipment regularly • Change shoes and clothing when theres risk of cross-contamination • Use boundaries to designate areas where livestock transporters are not to go on your farm • Limit exposure to wildlife, pests, and rodents that have the potential to transmit diseases • Quarantine an animal that you are introducing into your herd
22 \ Experience Berkshire
