[Prophylactic use of drugs in sows in industrial swine breeding]. / Medikamentozna profilaktika pri svinete-maiki v usloviiata na promishlenoto svinevudstvo.

Four scientific-and-economic experiments were carried out with 4 groups of sows each, the animals being equated in terms of age and period of farrowing (+/- 4 days). Both test and control groups were offered rations of one and the same composition and amount. The feed of the test groups contained medicated premixes MNDm (neomycin and dimetridazol) or MODm (oxatetracyclin and dimetridazol) at the rate of 1 per cent. The medicated feed was fed to the sows 3 days prior to and 7 days after farrowing. At the time of weaning newborn pigs were given combined feed in the course of 5-6 days with the inclusion of medicated premixe MOSdf (oxatetracyclin, sulfadimezin, and furazolidan) also at the rate of 1 per cent. A total of 1774 pigs were obtained from all 182 test sows at an average fertility rate of 9.8 pigs per sow. The control of 182 cows yielded 1747 pigs (fertility rate of 9.7). The average weight gain of the test pigs during the suckling period amounted to 212 g against 197 g for the controls (an increase of 15 g -- 7.6 per cent). Mortality ranged from 78 pigs for the test groups to 101 pigs for the control ones. Up to 7 cases of diseased sows were established with the test animals against 24 ones with the controls. The number of impregnated sows up to the 20th day after weaning the newborns was 90 for the test animals against 77 for the control ones, and the number of returns was 27 and 34, respectively. Owing to sterility 5 sows of the test groups and 11 sows of the control groups were culled (4.2 vs. 9.0 per cent). Conclusions were drawn that the medicated premixes MNDm and MODm, used in amounts of 1 per cent with the combined feed prevented endometritis, mastitis, agalaxia, enteritis, and other diseases in sows. The treated animals exhibited joint estrus by groups after weaning the newborns, manifesting a higher conception rate. Parallel to this, the weight development of newborn pigs was improved, and mortality during the sucking period was reduced.