Joint-ill in piglets and its consequences for production losses in the grower-finisher herd
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Research partner: University of Cambridge
Industrial partner: BPEX
Duration: 2007
Joint infections in pigs of all ages cause significant losses due to increased mortality (euthanasia),
reductions in growth performance, the need for individual housing and treatment and abattoir
condemnations. Lameness due to joint infection is also a major welfare issue in piglets, growers and
finishers. This project aimed to establish the whether animals treated for joint-ill as piglets suffer reoccurrence
of joint problems in later life, or if cases observed later in life are actually new cases with a
different cause. The results of studies on two 500 sow units and a 5000 pig finisher unit showed that a
higher proportion of piglets which had joint-ill were affected by lameness as finishers. Using plasticslatted-
raised farrowing crates reduced the amount of piglet joint-ill compared to concrete crates and
piglets with skin wounds were more likely to become lame with joint-ill (hock and ear-biting wounds
being particularly important). The same types of environmental bacteria were found in the joints of
lame piglets and finishers indicating that contamination of wounds is commonly associated with
lameness in both ages of pig. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of controlling joint
infections in piglets in order to reduce the risk of lameness in finisher pigs.
Page last updated 08 June 2010