DIVERS

Production
• Management and hyperprolificacy hot topics at the pig day.
• Towards a baseline assessment of organic pig welfare.
• Longterm detrimental effects of tooth clipping or grinding in piglets : a histological approach.
Immunology
• Acquisition de l’immunité passive chez les porcelets et production de colostrum chez la truie - (acquisition of passive immunity in piglets and production of colostrum in sows).
• Immunology – the innate immune system.

Management and hyperprolificacy hot topics at the pig day.
CALDIER P
Pig Progress Vol. 20, N°1, 2004, 14-16
On the occasion of the 2003 regional Pig Day that took place recently in Brittany (France), the results of the latest pig research have been presented. Hyperprolifilacy and maternal ability aroused particular interest. In the last decade in Brittany, the number of piglets born increased by 3.3 and 2.7 respectively in Large-White and French Landrace and so did the rate of stillborn piglets that now represents 10% of the litter. As a consequence, the number of functional teats and the daily average feed consumption of sows were added as new parameters in selection programs. Other parameters such as colostrum production and homogeneity of the litter were also discussed. A negative correlation between the minimum survival weight for piglets and the size of the litter was demonstrated together with the economical viability of keeping piglets of less than 1kg at birth until slaughter. Moreover, giving a mixture of water and early weaning feed to piglets for 5 days post-weaning was proposed as a way of improving the condition of early weaned piglets.

Towards a baseline assessment of organic pig welfare.
DAY JEL, KELLY H, MARTINS A, EDWARDS SA
Animal Welfare 2003, 12, 637-641
Keywords : animal welfare, organic production, pig.
The growing interest of consumers towards organic livestock production as a way to guarantee animal welfare and food safety, calls for a suitable tool to assess this type of production which primarily relies on good management and uses veterinary medicines only as a last resort. Nine organic pig farms in the South West of England were included in this survey. Data were collected through direct examination of the animals and facilities (scoring system) over a period of 3 years and through a questionnaire submitted to the primary stock persons. The major causes of concern were keeping pigs free from external parasites (mange and lice) and intestinal parasites and avoiding paddocks to become wet during winters. The systems assessed achieve high standards of animal health and provide animals with good living conditions.

Longterm detrimental effects of tooth clipping or grinding in piglets : a histological approach.
HAY M, RUE J, SANSAC C, BRUNEL G, PRUNIERS A
Animal Welfare 2004, 13, 27-32
Keywords : animal welfare, histology, pain, piglet, tooth clipping, tooth grinding
Either tooth clipping or grinding result in severe lesions (opening of the pulp cavity, pulp inflammation, abscess formation), but the clipping technique induces more frequent and major damage. An analogy with humans showing similar lesions leaves little room for doubt concerning the pain induced by this practice in piglets. Furthermore, these lesions are likely to constitute an additional infection route for bacterial agents. In spite of these drawbacks, if breeders chose to carry out tooth resection in their piglets, it is recommended to proceed in good hygiene conditions and prefer rotating grinders rather than clippers which are more harmful.

Acquisition de l’immunité passive chez les porcelets et production de colostrum chez la truie - (acquisition of passive immunity in piglets and production of colostrum in sows).
LE DIVIDICH J, MARTINEAU GP, THOMAS F, DEMAY H, RENOULT H, HOMO C, BOUTIN D, GAILLARD L, SUREL Y, BOUTEARD R, MASSARD M
Journées Recherche Porcine, 36, 2004, 451-456
Colostrum composition and the correlation between birth rank of piglets and acquisition of passive immunity were investigated in 40 sows and their respective piglets. The results show a 31% decrease in the IgG content of colostrum as soon as three hours after the first piglet is born and much higher levels of passive immunity in piglets born first at two days after farrowing and until weaning. The weight gain of the litter during the first 24 hours allows to assess colostrum production which was demonstrated not to depend on the characteristics of the litter. Colostrum quality, quantity and intake play a major role in piglets for their acquisition of passive immunity and survival. Besides, the authors propose colostrum production and homogeneity of the litter to be included as new parameters in selection programs.

Immunology – the innate immune system.
THACHER EL
The Pig Journal, 52, 2003, 111-123
First of a three-part series of articles written in order to provide veterinarians and students with updated key concepts of the immune system.