Since porcine epidemic diarrhea virus entered the U.S. swine herd in 2013, it’s been an industry battle, both good and bad, says Bill Hollis. However, the veterinarian with Carthage Veterinary Service and founding partner of Professional Swine Management, says it’s time to reexamine the actual cost of PEDV to pork production systems and the benefits to eliminating the virus.
For example, he points out if a producer loses a months’ worth of piglets to PEDV at a 5,000-head sow farm, it will cost that producer $500,000. If there’s chronic activity in wean-to-market barns, that can cost the nursery $25,000, feeders $40,000 and in late marketing breaks, another $3 per pig. An outbreak at a 5,000-sow farm could end up impacting 11,250 pigs overall.
"We have clients that have fallen somewhat into that malaise of we know we’re going to have some slaughter truck traffic that is going to get impacted. We know we’re going to break in some finishing sites, that are late in finishing," Hollis says. "We believe we can clean it up, but not always before the baby pigs arrive. Frankly, it’s somewhat overlooked in terms of cost because if they’re feeder pigs it might be a short-lived diarrhea, if they’re slaughter pigs it might be overlooked, but I challenge us to just do the math, and from a simple population standpoint, it’s the feed that goes in the pit."
Read the full story at National Hog Farmer.
[Source: National Hog Farmer 30 January 2024 by Ann Hess]