Comprehensive Midwifery Measures for Farrowing Sows Explained in Detail
Assisting sows during farrowing is the most important part of pig farming. It affects the survival rate of piglets at birth, their future disease resistance and growth rate, and directly influences the benefits of @#@227@#@. During more than ten years of managing breeding pig farms, the author has always used manual attendance during farrowing and has summarized the following experience, which has achieved extremely high pig-farming returns in practical application. This experience is provided for everyone's reference:
1. Prepare all the medicines and instruments needed for sow farrowing
75% disinfectant alcohol and 2% iodine tincture; large sterilized nail clippers; sterilized scissors; sterilized cotton thread for tying the umbilical cord; hot water and clean towels.
2. Prepare baskets for holding the piglets and line them with clean straw
Also prepare an appropriate amount of clean straw for the sow in the pig pen and wait for the sow to give birth.
3. Formal farrowing assistance
3.1 When a piglet is born, immediately use a clean towel to wipe the blood and dirt from the piglet's mouth and nose.
3.2 Use sterilized cotton thread to tie the umbilical cord, cut and disinfect the cord, then place the piglet in the basket.
3.3 Wash the sow's udder with warm water, then place the handled piglet at the sow's abdomen so that the piglet can take colostrum.
3.4 Handle each piglet as it is born, and immediately let it take colostrum. After all piglets are born, clip the needle teeth of all piglets.
4. Benefits of manual farrowing assistance
4.1 Assist the sow during farrowing. When the sow lacks the strength to give birth, the attendant can press the sow's abdomen when she contracts it to increase her pressure, which helps the sow give birth and prevents piglets from suffocating to death in the birth canal.
4.2 Piglets in a state of apparent death can be saved in time. When a piglet is born without breathing but its heart is still beating (sometimes only the umbilical cord can be seen pulsating), this is a phenomenon of apparent death and the piglet can be saved. Simply press the piglet's chest gently and rhythmically and breathing can be restored, saving the piglet.
4.3 Some piglets are still wrapped in the fetal membrane when born. If no one is there to assist the birth, the piglets will suffocate to death. During farrowing assistance, promptly tear open the fetal membrane wrapping the piglet to save it.
4.4 Cutting, disinfecting and tying the piglet's umbilical cord can reduce infection and umbilical hernia.
4.5 Clipping the needle teeth can reduce biting injuries to the sow's udder during lactation and reduce the occurrence of mastitis.
4.6 Taking colostrum in time not only allows all piglets to eat their fill by the time the sow finishes farrowing, but also gives the piglets strength so they can run around, reducing the probability of being crushed or crushed to death. More importantly, colostrum greatly enhances the piglets' disease resistance and improves the survival rate.