Purchasing policy, quarantine and acclimation practices of breeding gilts in Belgian pig farms

Abstract

Background The breeding population is very important in pig herds, for productivity, health and profitability. Replacement of breeding animals can be accomplished by own rearing of breeding gilts or by purchasing them. Purchasing breeding gilts is a hazardous event in terms of biosecurity and introduction of pathogens into a farm. However, in literature, little is known about gilt introduction in a herd. The present study investigated the introduction procedures of purchased breeding gilts in Belgian pig herds, and the compliance of these herds to the optimal introduction procedures. A questionnaire consisting of twenty questions related to farm characteristics (n = 2), purchasing policy (n = 6), quarantine period (n = 5), and acclimation practices (n = 7) was designed, and 68 farms completed the questionnaire during an on-farm interview. Results The median (min. – max.) number of sows on the farms was 300 (85–2500). Fifty-seven per cent of the farms purchased breeding gilts, and there was a lot of variation in the frequency of purchase and the age at which gilts are purchased. On 95 % of those farms, a quarantine unit was used, and on most of these farms the quarantine was located on the farm itself (internal quarantine). The median (min. – max.) duration of the quarantine period was 42 (14–140) days. The most common acclimation practice was vaccination against Porcine parvovirus (96 %) and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (94 %), although in some farms exposure of gilts to farm-specific micro-organisms was done by providing faeces from suckling piglets (18 %) and bringing gilts in contact with sows that will be culled (16 %). Only 10 % of the farms complied with the optimal introduction procedures, i.e. purchasing policy, quarantine building and quarantine management. Conclusions This study showed that in many farms, practices related to purchasing, quarantine and acclimation could be improved to maintain optimal biosecurity.

Influence of parity and reproductive stage on the prevalence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in breeding animals in belgian farrow-to-finish pig herds

“…Since no samples were taken in our study from the gilts in the quarantine stable or before insemination, it is not possible to indicate if M. hyopneumoniae positive sows infected the new gilts or vice versa. However, before introducing gilts to the sow population good acclimation of the gilts is necessary [ 33 ]. A sufficiently long quarantine period is recommended to allow proper vaccination, to perform diagnostic tests and to cover the incubation period of the most important pathogens.…”

“…A sufficiently long quarantine period is recommended to allow proper vaccination, to perform diagnostic tests and to cover the incubation period of the most important pathogens. Furthermore, gilts should be immunized against most important pathogens before mixing them with sows [ 33 ]. When gilts are purchased from an M. hyopneumoniae negative source into an endemically infected farm, good immunization is even more important [ 34 ].…”

“…When gilts are purchased from an M. hyopneumoniae negative source into an endemically infected farm, good immunization is even more important [ 34 ]. Vaccination against M. hyopneumoniae is the most commonly applied immunization, as other methods like contact with culled sows are less controlled [ 26 , 33 ].…”

Porcine respiratory disease complex: Dynamics of polymicrobial infections and management strategies after the introduction of the African swine fever

“…Therefore, disease monitoring must be emphasized in these populations to avoid disease introduction in breeding herds. In a former study investigating the introduction procedures of purchased breeding gilts in Belgian pig herds, suggested the adoption of quarantine and acclimatization protocols for gilts purchased and kept in the farm (internal quarantine), with a quarantine period of approximately 42 days (range: 14-140 days) and an acclimatization by employing feces from suckling piglets and placing them in contact with culled sows as a tool for the maintenance of optimal biosecurity (76). In theory, the acclimatization of the PRRSV can be accomplished by an introduction of naïve gilts to actively PRRSV-infected or -culled sows in a separated gilt preparation unit.…”

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): antimicrobial‐resistant Brachyspira hyodysenteriae in swine

“…Parameter 3 -Feasibility of restriction of animal movement A recent questionnaire-based survey described that only 10% of 68 surveyed pig herds in Belgium used optimal introduction procedures for newly acquired gilts when considering purchase, quarantine and acclimation (Bernaerdt et al, 2021). Accordingly, such measures may not always be feasible, or at least they would require proper training of staff.…”