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Wean-to-finish pig mortality trending the wrong way

A swine veterinarian says mortality rates in wean-to-finish pigs are on the rise.

Dr. Dave Baumert is with Zoetis Pork.

“Pigs from the time they start in the nursery to when they eventually go to market, mortality if we looked at those numbers ten to fifteen years ago they were bouncing about six percent. The problem that we’ve seen is that in the last few years wean-to-finish mortality has gone up to about seven and-a-quarter percent.”

Speaking to Brownfield at the World Pork Expo earlier this month, he says respiratory diseases are a big reason why.

“Lung problems, pneumonias in pigs is the biggest cause for that increase in mortality.”

Baumert says the two most common respiratory diseases in pigs are Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, or PRRS, and mycoplasma pneumonia.