Can Pregnant Sows Be Vaccinated Against Swine Fever?

Summary Healthy pregnant sows can be vaccinated against swine fever, and vaccination around 60-70 days of pregnancy is relatively safe. Although pregnant sows are very sensitive to drugs and may miscarry or have stillborn piglets, in order to avoid a large-scale outbreak of swine fever, vaccination against swine fever is very necessary. For the sake of safety, vaccination can first be carried out on a small scale, and then carried out on a large scale if there are no special circumstances.

I. Can Pregnant Sows Be Vaccinated Against Swine Fever?

1. Although pregnant sows are very sensitive to drugs, and sows on some farms have miscarried or had stillborn piglets after being vaccinated against swine fever during pregnancy, there are also many successful cases of vaccination.

2. In order to avoid a large-scale outbreak of swine fever, vaccination against swine fever is very necessary, and it is best to choose to vaccinate sows against swine fever when they are 60-70 days pregnant. This is the safest time, and it is also easier for antibodies to be produced in the mother's body.

3. For the sake of safety, when vaccinating, farmers can first vaccinate sows on a small scale. After observing for a period of time and making sure there are no special circumstances, they can then carry out large-scale vaccination against swine fever. Sows with weak constitutions should not be injected, but they should be isolated.

II. Matters Needing Attention During Sow Pregnancy

1. Pay attention to nutrition

Sows are especially sensitive during pregnancy and need especially large amounts of nutrition to ensure the nutritional supply for the mother's body. When choosing feed, the highest-quality feed should be selected, and the amount fed should be adjusted according to the season and the sow's body weight. The healthiness of the feed must also be ensured; moldy feed must not be used for feeding, and some traditional Chinese medicines also need to be added before farrowing to condition the body.

2. Improve immunity

During pregnancy, a sow's resistance is somewhat weaker than usual, and it is also prone to infection by diseases. At this time, defense work against major vaccines such as swine fever, circovirus, and foot-and-mouth disease should be done well, and sows should be vaccinated with relevant vaccines when necessary.

III. Matters Needing Attention During Sow Farrowing

1. When a sow is farrowing, quiet must be maintained, and too much noise must not be made. At the same time, the sanitation of the farrowing environment must also be managed well, the pig pen must be kept dry, and its udder must be cleaned thoroughly.

2. After the sow has given birth, its wounds should be treated promptly with anti-inflammatory measures to prevent uterine infection, reduce pain, and reduce the sow's stress.

3. After giving birth, the sow should be promptly supplemented with nutrition, because giving birth consumes a large amount of physical strength, and in addition the sow's various functions are in a fatigued state after giving birth. Therefore, the feed should mainly be feed that is easy to digest and rich in nutrition, so that the sow can better recover its physical strength and its uterus can return to its original state. The amount fed should also be increased gradually, and it must not be fed too much all at once.