Disease Management in Grow-Out Pigs

The First Aid Kit: What Every Agripreneur Must Have

You don’t need a full hospital, but you must have these “must-haves” in a locked, cool box on the farm. Buying these in advance is cheaper than calling a vet for a “minor” emergency.

Oxytetracycline (OTC) 20%: A broad-spectrum antibiotic. This is your “Go-To” for infections, wounds, and some respiratory issues.
Iron Injection: (As discussed in the previous section to prevent anemia in newborns.
Ivermectin: The “Magic Bullet” for parasites. It kills internal worms and external mites (mange) at the same time.
Multivitamins: To help stressed or recovering pigs regain their appetite.
Iodine/Purple Spray: For disinfecting wounds, navels, and after tail-docking.
A Digital Thermometer: This is your most important tool. A pig’s normal temperature is 38.5°C to 39.5°C. If it’s above 40°C, the pig has a fever and needs help.

The Big Three Pig Ailments

1. Scours (Diarrhea)

This is the leading killer of piglets. It is usually caused by dirty floors, cold dampness, or sudden changes in feed.

Signs: Watery or bloody poop, sunken eyes, and a “tucked-in” belly.
The Fix: Move the pig to a dry, warm area. Provide “Oral Rehydration Salts” (like the ones used for human babies) in their water. If it’s severe, use an injectable antibiotic like Sulfadimidine.
Prevention: Keep the farrowing pen bone-dry.

2. Pneumonia and Coughing

This is common in Kenya/Africa during the rainy season or in dusty “stuffy” houses with poor ventilation.

Signs: Rapid breathing (panting), coughing, and discharge from the nose.
The Fix: Check your ventilation! Use OTC injections as prescribed by your vet.
Prevention: Ensure no drafts at “pig level” while keeping the roof area open for air.

3. The Silent Thieves: Worms and Mange

These don’t always kill the pig, but they “steal” the food you buy. A pig with worms will eat 5kg of food but stay thin.

Signs: A “pot-belly” with thin ribs, a dull/rough coat, or constant scratching against walls (Mange).
The Fix: Injectable Ivermectin or “Levamisole” powder in the feed.

The Agripreneur’s Health Calendar

Commercial farming is about Prevention, not Cure. Follow this schedule religiously:

Timing	Target	Treatment
Day 3	Piglets	Iron Injection (Mandatory)
Week 1-2	Piglets	Coccidiosis prevention (if diarrhea is common on your farm)
At Weaning	Piglets	First Deworming and Multivitamins to handle stress
Every 3 Months	All Pigs	Routine Deworming (Rotate drugs to prevent “super-worms”)
Before Mating	Sows/Gilts	Parvovirus/Leptospirosis vaccine (if available) to prevent small litters
Twice a Year	All Pigs	Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine (check local govt guidelines)

The Sick Bay (Isolation Pen)

Never treat a sick pig in a pen with healthy ones.

The Rule: If a pig is coughing or has diarrhea, move it immediately to a separate “Sick Bay” at the far end of the farm. This stops the “germ factory” from spreading.
The Order of Work: Always feed and clean the healthy pigs first, then visit the sick bay last. Never go back to the healthy pigs after touching the sick ones without showering and changing boots.

Case Study: The Itching Loss in Meru

Farmer Silas had 15 finishers that were eating a lot but weren’t gaining weight. He noticed they were constantly scratching themselves against the wooden posts until they bled. He thought it was just “dry skin” because of the heat. By month 7, they were only 50kg. A vet diagnosed “Sarcoptic Mange” (mites) and internal roundworms. After one round of Ivermectin – which cost Silas only 1,500 KES for the whole herd – the pigs stopped scratching and gained 15kg in the following month. Silas realized that “Pests eat your profit before the pig does.”

How to Give an Injection (The Triangle Zone)

Many farmers are afraid of needles, but you must learn this.

The Spot: Always inject in the neck, just behind and below the ear. Never inject in the “Ham” (the back leg) because this is the most expensive cut of meat; if you cause an abscess there, the butcher will reject the whole leg.
The Angle: For antibiotics, go straight in (90 degrees) into the muscle.
The Needle: Use a new needle for every litter to avoid spreading blood-borne diseases.

Important things to keep in mind:

Withdrawal Periods: Most medicines have a “Withdrawal Period” (usually 7 to 28 days). This is the time you must wait after the last injection before you can slaughter the pig. If you sell meat with medicine residues, you can be sued or blacklisted by processors.
Finish the Dose: If the vet says “inject for 3 days,” don’t stop after 1 day just because the pig looks better. If you stop early, the bacteria will come back stronger and “invincible.”
Don’t Self-Medicate for ASF: If a pig has purple ears and high fever, no antibiotic will help. Call the vet and isolate the farm.