The correct methods for clipping teeth, docking tails and cutting the umbilical cord in newborn piglets

Piglets that have just been born, up to pigs weighing around 30 kg, are all called piglets. So how do you clip the teeth, dock the tail and cut the umbilical cord in newborn piglets?

1. Pigs are naturally fond of fighting and competing for food, and newborn piglets already have two pairs of thin, pointed canine teeth. Clipping the piglets' teeth is necessary to prevent piglets from biting each other when competing for milk and playing rough, and from biting the sow's udder while nursing and causing mastitis, which lowers milk production; the sow will also be restless from the pain and refuse to nurse, seriously affecting the piglets' growth and development, and because of the pain the sow will frequently lie down and get up, crushing and injuring the piglets. However, during tooth clipping problems such as inadequate technique and bleeding infection often occur. Tooth clipping should be done within 24 hours after the piglet is born; after 24 hours the teeth harden, and clipping at that point easily shatters the dental pulp of the piglets' teeth, causing bleeding and infection. Also, only 1/2 of the tooth needs to be clipped, leaving part of the tooth, which can raise the success rate of creep feeding and teaching piglets to eat; it is best to use a tooth grinder, and after grinding the teeth, the teeth need to be disinfected and checked to see whether they have been ground smooth.

2. During growth, the piglet's tail consumes feed, and pigs wag their tails whenever they are idle, which also consumes energy, seriously wasting feed over time; when the tail swings, tail biting also easily occurs, and at marketing the tail affects the appearance of the fattening pig, so piglets need to have their tails docked. But in clinical production, bleeding and infection of the tail during docking are also very common, and after docking an inspection must be carried out to prevent the tail from bleeding without being discovered in time, which affects the piglet's growth rate and disease resistance.

3. When a piglet is born, it is squeezed out by the strong contractions of the sow's birth canal and suffers oxygen deprivation, its vitality drops, and in severe cases suffocation occurs. When first working in the farrowing house, be sure to note: pulling hard outward when the piglet is born and then immediately tearing off the umbilical cord is not a recommended practice. After the piglet is delivered, you should wait two minutes before cutting the umbilical cord; this can effectively relieve the piglet's oxygen deprivation, greatly improve the piglet's vitality and constitution, and benefit later growth and development. If during delivery the piglet's umbilical cord is not protected and bleeding from the cord occurs, this artificially causes anemia in the piglet and a drop in vitality. After repeated careful observation it has been found that piglets that lose blood from the umbilical cord have noticeably paler skin than other piglets and grow more slowly; the piglet's umbilical cord must be ligated and disinfected, and only after it is wiped dry can the piglet be placed in the warming box. In addition, when cutting the umbilical cord, generally leave about 3-4 cm; it must not be left too long, as it is easily stepped on and crushed, causing bleeding, nor too short, as it is then hard to ligate; it is appropriate if the umbilical cord does not touch the ground when the piglet stands. Umbilical cord blood contains a large amount of hematopoietic stem cells, which are very important for the piglet's later constitution, immunity and growth rate; during production you must pay attention to handling the umbilical cord to prevent the loss of umbilical cord blood.