Scour in farrowing houses is well recognised. Perhaps what is less recognised is how much effect this can have on the post-weaning performance, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC.
It has been reported that the gut damage (villous atrophy) in piglets following rotavirus infection can persist for up to 30 days. This would result in reduced nutrient absorption by the pigs long after they are deemed to have recovered.
This emphasises the need to look at performance pre-weaning when assessing poor pig performance after weaning.
