The effects of reducing the length of canine teeth in sucking pigs by clipping or grinding.
Aust Vet J
; 82(9): 574-6, 2004 Sep.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15478731
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To provide production data that would support or discount current teeth clipping practices in sucking pigs.DESIGN:
Intervention study of 207 litters of pigs on a commercial farm. PROCEDURE Litters were assigned to one of three interventions undertaken at 1 day of age clipped using hand-operated side cutter pliers, ground using a battery-operated grinder or left intact. The effects of the intervention on weaning weight, preweaning mortality, facial lesions, gum damage and arthritis in litters of pigs were recorded, as was the incidence of udder damage of the sows. Weight gain and facial damage postweaning of pigs within each intervention group were recorded. The costbenefit of each intervention was determined.RESULTS:
Average weaning weight of pigs whose teeth were clipped was higher than of those whose teeth were ground but not of those with intact teeth. Clipping resulted in fewer preweaning deaths than both unclipped and ground litters due to fewer overlays. The incidence and severity of face scarring was higher in unclipped litters than clipped and ground litters. Treatment had no effect on face scars at weaning, udder damage, post-treatment fostering, time of preweaning deaths or postweaning weight gain. There was an additional labour cost of 6 cents per pig with teeth clipping.CONCLUSION:
This study supports teeth clipping of sucking pigs because there are welfare, production and financial benefits including reduced facial damage and preweaning mortality.
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Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Porcinos
/
Diente Canino
/
Animales Lactantes
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Año:
2004
Tipo del documento:
Article