SHORT COMMUNICATION - PERI-PARTURIENT DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA AND ESCHERICHIA COLI IN SOWS FARROWING OUTDOORS
C. Dial and G. Bilkei

Abstract
A total of 145 late-pregnant sows reared outdoors were randomly divided into three groups. One group continued to be reared and farrowed outdoors and was medicated with in-feed enrofloxacin for three weeks prior to farrowing. Two other groups were moved to individual farrowing crates indoors, and one group was medicated similarly to the outdoor group. The other group was given no medication. The incidence of peri-parturient diseases, sow mortality, early post-natal piglet mortality and the number of sows culled with vulval discharge post-weaning and/or chronic mastitis was evaluated. The incidence of peri-parturient disease was significantly higher (p>0.05) in the outdoor medicated sows compared with indoor sows. Similarly, piglet mortality and the number of sows culled was greater (p>0.05) in outdoor medicated sows compared with the indoor sows, regardless of treatment.

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