Causes and prevention measures of postpartum refusal to eat or anorexia in sows
Many pig farmers often find during breeding that sows refuse to eat or show anorexia after giving birth. This results in the sows not having enough milk to supply, which may cause the piglets to starve to death. This is a constant worry for many pig farmers, who dread encountering such a situation. In fact, postpartum anorexia in sows is a metabolic disorder, and its causes are many. Let's take a look below at TheNaturePlanet's coverage of the causes and prevention measures of postpartum refusal to eat or anorexia in sows.
1. Nutrition and indigestion
Many beginners or small-scale free-range farmers lack breeding knowledge and experience, and their feeding practices are rather crude. They mainly feed postpartum sows coarse feed such as corn and tubers, with a small proportion of concentrated feed, so the sows cannot get enough nutrition to recover after giving birth. They also need to supply milk for the piglets, which requires digesting a large amount of nutrients. Combined with the pen-raising model, the amount of exercise is low, gastrointestinal motility weakens, appetite declines, indigestion occurs, and anorexia appears.
Prevention measures: After a sow gives birth, the supply of concentrated feed must be increased, attention must be paid to a balanced combination of nutrients, especially protein, vitamins and trace elements, a certain amount of exercise must be maintained, lighting conditions must be strengthened, feeding must be done at fixed times, and sufficient drinking water must be provided.
2. Postpartum paralysis
Many sows cannot stand up after giving birth due to temporary physical weakness, resulting in paralysis. This is also a relatively common phenomenon. Because of difficulty moving, the sow refuses to eat, which at this time expresses a state of being overwhelmed. Pig farmers must promptly cure the paralysis so that there will be no symptoms of anorexia.
Prevention measures: Strengthen feeding after the sow gives birth. The best treatment for paralysis is intravenous injection of glucose solution, so that it quickly passes through the weak period. When it has a certain appetite, appropriately add some bone meal and calcium powder to the feed to supplement nutrition. During the paralysis period, help the sow turn over to avoid bedsores caused by prolonged lying.
3. Postpartum inflammatory infection
After giving birth, sows are extremely weak. If they are in a dirty, messy environment that has not been thoroughly disinfected, inflammation is often triggered by microorganisms and bacteria infecting the reproductive organs, especially in high-temperature seasons. For example, common vaginitis, metritis and urethritis all cause sows to refuse to eat, leading to anorexia.
Prevention measures: Strengthen the sanitary environment of the pen before and after giving birth, strengthen lighting and ventilation conditions, disinfect promptly, and eliminate harmful bacteria and microorganisms. After inflammation occurs, anti-inflammatory treatment must be carried out promptly. Penicillin diluted with normal saline can be injected to help the sow reduce inflammation.
The above are the causes and prevention measures of postpartum refusal to eat or anorexia in sows brought to you by TheNaturePlanet. We hope it can help you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to TheNaturePlanet.