# vaccinations



## pig1 (Feb 23, 2013)

I'm have still born issues with my litters. I have heard that I need to be vaccinating my sows and that that would help. Does this sound correct. If so would you share your vaccination procedure and what kinds you us. Thanks.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Yes, it may well help as there are several reproductive related diseases that can be easily vaccinated against. We use the following vaccines with the pigs:

Pavro Shield L5E 7	
Parapleuro Shield P+BE 8
Prefarrow Shield 9	(breeders)
CircoFlex (piglets)

Sometimes we use FarrowSureGoldB instead but in the last couple of years have used the above. They both do the job.

These are things you can get without a vet prescription. Around here vets don't have a lot of experience treating pigs as there isn't a lot of call for it. A good source is Jefferslivestock.com They have the data sheets online for vaccines and are quite helpful. There are other vendors, of course. I just happen to use Jeffers mostly. 

What you'll need may vary with location - check with your state department of agriculture to see if there are any special issues in your area.

Check your soil for iron and selenium. If low, or even if you just want to, use kelp meal. That helps with gestating sows and piglets in particular. Our soil has good minerals but the soils where our winter hay comes from are low in selenium. Took me a while to figure this out. Here's a good source of kelp:

http://www.noamkelp.com/

Also see:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2012/03/24/mineral-deficiencies/

Cheers,

-Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/


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## njenner (Jul 15, 2013)

I have been connected with local vets for 25+ years in my area but mostly for horses. I have a friend whose husband was primarily a cow doc (we live in dairy country) but now venturing into other farm animals including pigs. I will be calling him in the morning as I want to have a local vet that I can call if I have a problem. I have not found any other vet in the area even interested in pigs. I will consult with him about vaccines for our area but I am pretty sure I will have to order the vaccines on-line. From what I've read, they need to ship fed-ex so they do not warm up and can get refrigerated asap.


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## pig1 (Feb 23, 2013)

Thanks for the info.


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is the vaccination protocol suggested by one of the veterinary clinics I work with here in Indiana. It is targeted for show pig farmers but is applicable to other pig farms.

Sows and Gilts	PRRS/Flu/Circo	Quarterly/Every 3 months
Sows-PreBreed	Parvo/Lepto/Ery	At least 2 weeks before breeding
Gilts- PreBreed	Parvo/Lepto/Ery	2 Vac/ 2 weeks apart/ 2 weeks before breeding
Gilts- PreBreed	Ivomec 1%	Pre-Breed Worm and Mange control
Sows and Gilts	E coli/Past/Bord/Ery	Approx 5 and 2 weeks pre-farrow
Sows and Gilts	Ivomec 1%	Mange/Worms 5-10 days before farrowing


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## njenner (Jul 15, 2013)

Vaccine arrived today after it was ordered just yesterday! It was all packed nicely in ice packs. Really surprised how fast it came. My vet ordered it and it was $25 cheaper than I could l have gotten on-line. He probably gave me his discount. The minimum dose is a 50 dose bottle but with good hygiene, he said I can use it several times before expiration date (which is 2016). It's the FarrowSureGold


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## pig1 (Feb 23, 2013)

Thanks Nancy! I'm gonna try and get my hands on some of that. My duroc sow had 11. Two where still born one wa a mummy. But on a good note my berkshire sow had 8 all alive but she sqweshed one and wouldn't you know it it was a gilt! Now the cold weather has moved in now I heard one of my little one coughing today so that's probably not a good sign. It's awfully cold awfully early.


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## JenniferLedlow (Mar 18, 2014)

Are your pigs pure or mixed? I was told that because of inbreeding (to keep rare breeds purebred) stillborns are more common. We have Large Blacks and all four of our litters had at least one stillborn. 1of a litter of 8, then 2 of a litter of 4, 3 of 13, and 3 of 10. I'd like to know if the vaccines help! If you use them let us know about the next litters please


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## njenner (Jul 15, 2013)

Jennifer - not sure if your post was directed at me - but; we are not breeding for pure rare breeds as I tend to believe in hybrid vigor by crossing non-related genes. We wanted to vaccinate to prevent abortions that are common to all breeds. Our grand experiment will play out- hopefully - next spring depending upon whether our small boar can reach......I may need to post an x-rated video.......


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## pig1 (Feb 23, 2013)

No my boar and sows are all separate blood lines.


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## Bubbas Boys (Apr 11, 2013)

I have some little ones coughing too. What is recommended for that?


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## JenniferLedlow (Mar 18, 2014)

Bubbas Boys said:


> I have some little ones coughing too. What is recommended for that?










We are going to start using these. We had some coughing too and these were recommended by a friend.


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## pig1 (Feb 23, 2013)

Warmed back up today and I heard no coughing. Thank goodness. Diffenutly gonna order farrowshuregoldB tho for next breeding cycle.


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## pig1 (Feb 23, 2013)

Dang this stuff is a little pricy!


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

pig1 said:


> I'm have still born issues with my litters. I have heard that I need to be vaccinating my sows and that that would help. Does this sound correct. If so would you share your vaccination procedure and what kinds you us. Thanks.


http://www.thepigsite.com/pighealth/article/234/the-stillborn-pig

Many things can cause still born. Link above show just a few.

Guess i am lucky. Most of my sows don't have any still born. One of ten of my sows will have one or two still born. Most have been when temp. is very hot or very cold.

Best,
Gerold.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Speaking of vaccines (other thread on FarrowSureGoldB) I just saw this:

http://www.jrgsupply.com/pedv-vaccine-from-zoetis/

for PEDv.


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## bruceki (Nov 16, 2009)

Be careful about depending on this vaccination to protect against PEDV. Even herds thought to be immune because of surviving a PEDV infection are getting re-infected. Studies of this (very expensive) vaccination are still ongoing per the manufacturers info. 

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/re...ne-increases-efforts-quell-pedv?rel=canonical


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Fortunately there are quite a few new PEDv vaccines available or in the pipeline coming up for approval and they're learning a lot about it. Since the big commercial farms got hit so hard there is a lot of incentive to solve this problem. In the mean time, use good biosecurity.


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## DoubleAcre (Dec 15, 2014)

I have not given any shots yet to my pigs, but I'm thinking I should start with FarrowSure Gold B. The question is, when should I start? Two of my gilts are bred and due April 28th. Should I start now, or wait till after they farrow?

Also, Does the 2mL apply to any size pig?

Thanks!


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I had some miscarriages in some gilts that I linked to late gestation vaccination so I am now hesitate to vaccinate then.

The mL thing is very bizarre. The recommend the same vaccine amount for a 50 lb pig and a 800 lb pig. Seems totally illogical to me. I have yet to find any rationality to their spec.

-Walter


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## njenner (Jul 15, 2013)

My vet recommended a booster 4 weeks pre farrowing which I did. I hope I don't see a problem with miscarriage. She is due May 2nd so I'm hoping if there was a problem, it would already have occurred. Curious how long post vaccine did you (Walter) see miscarriage issue????


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I'm not sure. At one point I vaccinated some pregnant gilts and lost some litters. It has made me a bit shy of vaccinating when pigs are pregnant. I spoke with a vet about this two weeks ago and she said there is no problem but to check the bottles. Manufacture claims no problems. I'm not sure one way or the other.

-Walter


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

There are millions of gestating sows vaccinated in late gestation without issue. Vaccinating at that time helps with the passive immunity that is passed to the piglets through the colostrum.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

That's what our vet explained.

-Walter


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## njenner (Jul 15, 2013)

Lazy J said:


> There are millions of gestating sows vaccinated in late gestation without issue. Vaccinating at that time helps with the passive immunity that is passed to the piglets through the colostrum.


that's what my vet said too.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Being a "backyard" or small scale or pastured farm is no protection from disease. I sometimes see people claim that they're immune from things like Avian Influenza, PEDv or the like because they're out on pasture. It does not work that way. Please do not get a false sense of security. Good biosecurity is critically important. Vaccines are powerful preventative tools when available.
http://www.pigprogress.net/Health-D...-19|Backyard_farm_in_Latvia_affected_with_ASF


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## momgoat (Jan 15, 2013)

JenniferLedlow said:


> Are your pigs pure or mixed? I was told that because of inbreeding (to keep rare breeds purebred) stillborns are more common. We have Large Blacks and all four of our litters had at least one stillborn. 1of a litter of 8, then 2 of a litter of 4, 3 of 13, and 3 of 10. I'd like to know if the vaccines help! If you use them let us know about the next litters please


I've also been told by a pig breeder that you shouldn't breed your gilts until they are older than 1 yrs old & you shouldn't use a boar that's younger than 2 at that too causes stillborns. He raises registered heritage breed stock & mixed....I think he's been doing it for over 25 years, but I don't remember. 

and you want to limit your inbreeding or line breeding as that also causes issues, more than just stillbirths.


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## momgoat (Jan 15, 2013)

DoubleAcre said:


> I have not given any shots yet to my pigs, but I'm thinking I should start with FarrowSure Gold B. The question is, when should I start? Two of my gilts are bred and due April 28th. Should I start now, or wait till after they farrow?
> 
> Also, Does the 2mL apply to any size pig?
> 
> Thanks!


What's the FarrowSure Gold B for? To help them farrow safely somehow or for something else? (I've never used it, so I'm curious)


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

momgoat said:


> I've also been told by a pig breeder that you shouldn't breed your gilts until they are older than 1 yrs old"


Myth.

I find that most gilts naturally first take about eight months of age and some as early as six months. No problems. Waiting a year is wasting time and unnecessary.

I would suggest breeding to farrow in the easy season. When that is depends on location. Please fill in your location information which makes it easier to answer questions. At the very least your zone. See this thread:

https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/please-fill-in-location-info.505485/

FarrowSureGoldB is a vaccine that protects against a number of reproductive diseases. Well worth the cost. See:

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/farrowsure-gold-b

Dosing is size independent.

Cheers,

-Walter


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## momgoat (Jan 15, 2013)

highlands said:


> Myth.
> 
> I find that most gilts naturally first take about eight months of age and some as early as six months. No problems. Waiting a year is wasting time and unnecessary.
> 
> ...


I like giving them the year....gives them time for size. But that's just for me & the breed we have. I will look into the farrowsuregoldb, the vet we use for the pigs never mentioned it, but I'll ask them about it. It sounds like a good option to have & it can't be any different then what I've given to my cow to make sure she's healthy for breeding or calving.

I also told my husband about the plants you mentioned for a good foraging pasture for the pigs (& they'll work for my goats too...horses & cow, I don't know), I have to print out the whole list, but its going to be part of our plan for when we get our own place & can set up the pasture how we want. I get to do it  So.....I'm hoping we can get a place soon, so I can get busy playing in the pasture :-D


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