The ABC’s of Gilt Entry: Acclimation, Biosecurity and Convalescence - Dr. Wesley Lyons, Rensselaer Swine Services and Bethany Swine Health Services, from the 2016 Power Of The Past, Force Of The Future Customer Appreciation event, August 16, 2016, hosted by Rensselaer Swine Services and Bethany Swine Health Services, Jasper Country Fairgrounds, IN, USA. More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2016-power-of-past-force-of-future-customer-appreciation

1. The ABC’s of Gilt Entry: Acclimation,
Biosecurity, and Convalescence
Dr. Wesley Lyons

2. The ideal gilt
 The ideal gilt:
 Reaches sexual maturity early
 Is not overly conditioned
 Is exposed and acclimated to the farm bugs
 Does not bring any “new” bugs to the farm
 Is fully vaccinated prior to breeding
 Maintains structural and reproductive soundness throughout the GDU period
and beyond

3. The ideal gilt

4. ATM- Gilt Management Series
 Drs. Billy Flowers, Jenny Patterson, and Noel Williams
 Birthweight influence on lifetime performance
 Importance of nutrition and weight at breeding (not as important as age)
 Frequency and adequacy of early boar stimulation

5. Framing the conversation
 Acclimation: the process in which an individual organism adjusts to a
gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance
across a range of environmental conditions
 Biosecurity: the sum of the measures taken to prevent disease introduction
or spread within a farm
 Convalescence: the period needed to return to health after an illness

6. Acclimation: exposure and vaccination

7. “
”
Exposure: The devil we
know… and some we
don’t.
-Dr. Kent Schwartz

8. Exposure: the bucket model
Major Pathogens Knowns and Unknowns
1. PRRSV*
2. PEDV
3. PDCoV
4. TGEV
5. APP
6. Brachyspira spp.
7. Mycoplasma
hyopneumoniae*
1. Other Mycoplasmas
2. HPS
3. Strep
4. A. suis
5. IAV-S
6. Rotavirus
7. E.coli
8. Clostridium spp.
9. Salmonella spp.
10. Parvovirus
11. Others
*Depends on herd status

9. Exposure: the how to’s
 Feedback- all about quality, quantity, and timing
 Quality: “the devil you know”
 Handling and kind of material
 Quantity: adequate amount for the number of gilts
 Timing: Boosting immunity without hindering performance
 As soon as possible after clearing isolation period*
 Other exposure methods
 Live animal introduction
 Intratracheal inoculation

10. “
”
An ounce of
prevention is worth a
pound of cure
-Benjamin Franklin

11. Vaccinations for the arriving gilt
 Must haves:
 Circovirus
 Parvovirus
 Erysipelas
 Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
 Lawsonia
 Leptospirosis?
 Dependent on herd status:
 PRRSV
 Influenza

12. Biosecurity: bioexclusion and internal
biosecurity

13. Bioexclusion: keeping the bad bugs
out
1. Know your source
2. Double check your source

14. Bioexclusion: know your source
 Vet to vet communications
 Herd health profile
 Alerts for any status changes

15. Bioexclusion: double check your source
 Test gilts for major pathogens after arrival
 PRRSV
 PED/PDCoV
 Kind of testing*
 Test again prior to entry for “late bloomers”
 Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

16. Internal biosecurity: protect this house
 New gilts to be treated as foreign until clearing health tests
 Follow best biosecurity practices
 Shower-in/shower-out
 Chore at the end of the day
 Educate and re-educate personnel

17. Convalescence: natural and
interventional

18. Major Pathogens Knowns and Unknowns
1. PRRSV*
2. PEDV
3. PDCoV
4. TGEV
5. APP
6. Brachyspira spp.
7. Mycoplasma
hyopneumoniae*
1. Other Mycoplasmas
2. HPS
3. Strep
4. A. suis
5. IAV-S
6. Rotavirus
7. E.coli
8. Clostridium spp.
9. Salmonella spp.
10. Parvovirus
11. Others
*Depends on herd status

19. Convalescence: natural
 Timeline of shedding
IAV-S
~8 days
PRRS
Dependent on
vaccination (~60
days)
M. Hyop
~256 days
Coronaviruses,
HPS, A. suis,
Rotavirus
Other Mycoplasmas,
Salmonella, E.coli

20. Convalescence: interventional
 Booster vaccinations: HPS, Influenza, PRRSV, E.coli
 “Cool down” antibiotics:
 Broad spectrum
 Goal to decrease shedding prior to herd entry

21. Sow how long is this going to take,
doc?

22. Test for PRRS &
Coronavirus
3
Day
zero

23. Summary of events
 Begin with healthy gilts
 Prove health status of supplier with testing
 Acclimate with correct material at the right time
 Vaccinate for the diseases your herd has
 Build in a “cool down” convalescence time with antibiotics and booster
vaccinations
 Walk, don’t run

24. Questions?