First-aid kit
If tail-biting occurs in a pigsty, it is important to be prepared. In particular, those who keep pigs with unclipped tails should keep certain items in stock so that they can react quickly in an emergency, even on public holidays and at weekends. Only by reacting early can you prevent the tail-biting from spreading.
To ensure that sick and injured pigs can be isolated immediately, a recovery pen must be available at all times. It is recommended that, for pigs with docked tails, recovery pens be provided for at least 2.5–3%* of all animals kept in piglet rearing and fattening units, and for at least 5% of all sows kept in a group in sow housing. When housing un-dehorned pigs, at least 5% are required, but usually more.
Further information on equipping a recovery pen can be found in the brochure ‘Focus on Pig Welfare – Handling Sick and Injured Animals’.
*See paragraph 10 of the Implementation Guidelines for the Animal Welfare Regulation (TierSchNutztV)
It is advisable to provide additional troughs for this purpose. During hot spells in particular, drinking troughs are often occupied or blocked by higher-ranking animals using them to cool down. Additional (open) drinking facilities also give lower-ranking animals sufficient opportunity to meet their needs. Here too, it is important that only water of impeccable hygiene is provided.
Organic enrichment materials are better suited to meeting pigs’ needs than technical enrichment devices. Chopped straw, wood shavings or alfalfa pellets are very easy to keep in stock and satisfy the animals’ natural urge to root. Although pig toys such as pieces of wood, teething rings or balls can be moved, lifted and, in some cases, deformed, they are only partially chewable and cannot be rooted through. In practice, cotton ropes have proven to be a well-suited emergency material. Regularly changing the enrichment material increases its appeal.
Sometimes it is very specific feed ingredients that the pigs are lacking. Identifying exactly which ones is not entirely straightforward. To avoid wasting time, one should therefore not skimp on individual components and should administer the supplements in parallel. However, interactions must be ruled out. For example, excessive calcium intake can negatively affect magnesium absorption.
Toxin binders
Certain rock meals (clay minerals) can reduce the absorption of feed toxins.
But beware: not all products available on the market are effective. The Fusarium toxin DON should be controlled at the field stage, and potentially contaminated feed should not be used for sows or in piglet rearing. Regulatory requirements regarding the use of toxin binders must be observed.
Protein components
The protein in animal-derived feedstuffs (milk powder, fishmeal or processed animal protein (VTP)) usually has a high biological value. To provide the first-limiting amino acids required for rapidly growing pigs (lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan), a comparatively small amount is sufficient, which can reduce the metabolic load. In addition, there are ingredients (e.g. carnitine) that are not found in plant-based protein sources. Furthermore, fishmeal in particular is rich in vitamin B12, which pigs cannot synthesise themselves. Live insect larvae have also been used for some time. However, larger quantities must be fed in this case, as they also contain a lot of water and fat.
Dried brewer’s yeast is suitable as a plant-based protein supplement. Liquid brewer’s yeast has a shorter shelf life and must be inactivated before feeding.
Salts
The administration of livestock salt (sodium chloride) supports the pigs’ well-being and promotes water intake. This allows toxins to be excreted more easily via the kidneys. But be careful: every pig must be able to drink sufficient water at all times; otherwise, livestock salt can lead to severe poisoning!
Sodium bicarbonate (also known as sodium hydrogen carbonate, bicarbonate of soda, baking soda or baking powder) acts as a buffer against stomach acidity. Pigs with gastric mucosal irritation or a stomach ulcer readily consume sodium bicarbonate. However, caution is advised here too, as buffering stomach acid can also have negative health consequences such as diarrhoea.
Magnesium compounds
Magnesium oxide can also be used as a gastric acid buffer in cases of subclinical gastric ulcers. Dosages of 2–5 kg per tonne of finished feed (88% DM) are recommended. However, the availability within the total ration must also be taken into account here. An excess supply can have a laxative effect.
Humic substances
Humic substances, when used as feed additives, promote gut health by improving the microbiome. They can also be provided in the form of peat as enrichment material.
