What to Do When a Sow's Body Temperature Is Too Low? Causes and Prevention and Treatment Methods
Pig farming is not always smooth sailing, and all kinds of problems often arise. Many farmers encounter a strange thing: when they take a sow's temperature in the morning, they find that the sow's body temperature is somewhat low, and when they measure it again at noon, they find that the temperature has risen back above 39 degrees. What is the reason for this? Let's take a look together.
I. Causes of Low Body Temperature in Sows
The phenomenon of low body temperature in sows mainly occurs during the transition between winter and spring, and is mainly caused by three reasons. First, the sow's nutrient intake is insufficient, or the nutrition is unbalanced, as well as parasitic infections, causing the sow to fail to absorb enough nutrients. Second, during the seasonal transition, the temperature difference between day and night is large, and combined with damp ground or inadequate insulation measures, the sow consumes a large amount of body heat to resist the low temperature, so the body temperature drops rapidly, and when the temperature rises again at noon, the body temperature returns to normal. Third, it is caused by diseases; constipation, diarrhea and other diseases in sows can all cause a drop in the sow's body temperature.
II. Prevention and Treatment Methods
1. Strengthen the nutritional level of the feed
When feeding, make sure the sow's nutrition is sufficient and balanced. The proportion of energy feed can be reduced accordingly, and the proportion of vitamins and minerals can be appropriately increased. Pig farms should carry out regular deworming, generally 3 times a year, and in areas where parasites are more serious, one more deworming is needed.
2. Keep the pen dry and hygienic
In winter and spring, pay attention to the temperature difference between day and night. When the temperature is low, do a good job of insulation, and after the temperature rises, the pen temperature can be restored to normal through ventilation. At the same time, ensure the pig herd is dry and hygienic; a damp environment easily breeds bacteria, which is extremely unfavorable to the growth and development of sows.
3. Relieve constipation
Constipation in sows is a problem existing in most pig farms, especially in some large-scale pig farms, because the use of gestation stalls leads to a lack of exercise and insufficient drinking water for sows, making constipation very likely. To solve this, it is not easy for large pig farms, but small pig farms have an advantage: just remove the gestation stalls and add water troughs.
4. Treat diarrhea
For low body temperature caused by diarrhea, you can have the pig drink warm brown sugar water for a few days, and orally administer rehydration salts, amoxicillin, colistin, poplar flower, multivitamins, and feed supplemented with coated probiotics. After a few days, improvement can be seen, and the body temperature will naturally return to normal.
The above is an introduction to the causes and prevention and treatment methods of low body temperature in sows. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.