Azaperone offers route to bigger pig litters

Janssen Animal Health has built on a body of work looking at the effects of colostrum intake across a litter of piglets to develop a simple solution to a complex problem. The group’s initial studies demonstrated that improved suckling in the first few hours after farrowing, when distributed evenly across the litter, can improve litter survival rates and that the administration of the sedative azaperone (Stresnil40mg/ml Solution For Injection For Pigs) immediately post farrowing could improve sow behaviour and aid suckling 2,4.

It is estimated that 25% of sows show behaviour which prevents their piglets from suckling at birth and this rises to 30% within six hours. This can represent a significant loss in productivity for the unit.

Three additional studies were carried out, supported by a novel method for measuring IgG (antibodies) in individual piglets 1,3,5,6. The results demonstrate some conclusive benefits resulting from administering azaperone following the recommended protocol:

Study 1: piglets from sows treated with azaperone showed improved weight gain at weaning, gaining 9.9% more than piglets from untreated sows6.

Study 2: in sows giving birth to their first litter, azaperone treatment of the sows resulted in increased piglet survival and improved weight gain, resulting in litter weight being 11.3% better in the azaperone-treated group. In outdoor breeding herds this was mainly due to decreased early mortality and in conventionally housed sows increased weight gain made the biggest contributions.

Study 3: sows giving birth to larger litters were more likely to have litters where the colostrum intake was less evenly distributed – a factor known to have a negative impact on piglet survival. Administering azaperone to sows resulted in colostrum intake remaining even across the litter, even with large litter sizes. The benefits of azaperone are likely to be particularly marked in farms with a higher proportion of prolific sows3.

These results demonstrate that stress reduction and relaxation can be achieved by administering azaperone to the sow at the end of parturition. Improved suckling for all piglets due to better early access to the udder is likely to result in stronger piglets at an early stage with subsequent improvements in survival and weaning weights.