What is sow sub-health?

The sub-health state of the sow refers to the state between health and disease. The sow does not show any signs of disease at this stage, but will has the symptom of fatigue, decreased vitality and slow response.  Under this state any stimulus from the outside world will transform the sows into a disease state.

The specific manifestations of sub-healthy sows shows as: tear spots and old skin, non-estrus or invisible estrus, malformation of the mammary glands, insufficient milk production, and low antibody levels after vaccination.

What are the reasons caused sows sub-health?

1. Heavy metals in feeds and water sources exceed the standard.  These heavy metals will accumulate in the sow's blood, causing the sows to exceed the standard.

2. Excessive mycotoxins in sows body. Mycotoxins only exsist in feed. Mycotoxins are formed during the growth of raw materials, feed manufacturing, storage and transportation, and incomplete cleaning of the trough, and they will not decompose when heated to 340°C. Therefore, the accumulation of mycotoxins is very common in pigs.

3. Excessive antibiotic health care. We often encounter a series of problems during raising pigs like: sows constipation, decreased appetite before delivery, long delivery time, yellow and white scour of piglets, and sows with little or no milk after delivery. When encountering such problems, many pig farmers will give priority to antibiotics treatment. Antibiotics is a method of targeted selection only when the disease occurs and is controlled. However, many pig friends have used this treatment method for sows body health care. Excessive antibiotic will damage the sow’s liver and kidneys and cause  toxic hazards to sows.

4. Long-term constipation-accumulation of bacterial toxins. Various harmful bacteria can produce endotoxins and exotoxins when they multiplied in pigs. Our common streptococcus, E. coli, Haemophilus parasuis, etc. will produce bacterial toxins, resulting sows in sub-health status, leading to sows constipation.

 

How to improve the sub-health status of sows?

1. Improve the environmental of the pig house. Create a quiet, comfortable with good air quality environment for sows.

2. Take precautions against mycotoxins. Buy fresh feed, and pay attention to the storage of feed, keep ventilate and prevent moisture, if necessary, add detoxification and liver protection products such as detoxification feed additive bile acids.

3. Use antibiotics rationally. The main function of antibiotics is to treat diseases. Recommend sows farmers use traditional Chinese medicine or feed additives to prevent excessive antibiotics from damaging the liver and kidneys of sows and prevent the sub-health status of sows.