During raising, pigs frequently bite one another’s tails and ears. In mild cases, half the tail is bitten off; in severe cases, the entire tail can be bitten off.
This usually happens during feeding. Injured pigs often hide in corners. If the wounds are not treated promptly, they can become infected, leading to local inflammation and tissue necrosis. According to some sources, the growth rate and feed utilization rate of pig groups with this abnormal behavior are 26.4% lower than those of normal pig groups. Therefore, measures must be taken to prevent it.
There are many causes of tail and ear biting in pig groups, mainly nutritional, environmental, management, and disease-related factors.
Prevention and control of tail-biting and ear-biting in pigs:
1, meet the nutritional needs of pigs by feeding a complete feed. When tail-biting is observed, compound vitamins and minerals may be added to the feed as appropriate. Feed pigs at regular times and in fixed amounts, and never feed moldy feed.
2, group pigs appropriately, keeping pigs with similar breeds, body weights, body conditions, and feed intake in the same pen.
3, maintain an appropriate stocking density and ensure that each pig has sufficient floor space. For example, pigs aged 3-4 months should have a pen area of 0.5-0.6 square meters.
4. Environmental requirements include good ventilation, insulation, moisture protection, and suitable lighting facilities to ensure that the housing remains clean, dry, and well ventilated.
5. Piglet tail docking: Piglets can be docked 1-2 days after birth. According to the information, only 0.25% of piglets develop tail biting after docking, compared with 6.86% of those not docked, a difference of 27 times. Method: Use wire cutters to make two consecutive cuts at the lower third of the tail, severing the tailbone and tail muscles and crushing the blood vessels and nerves, while compressing the skin into a groove. About 10 days after cutting, the lower third of the tail will fall off. This method causes no bleeding or inflammation and works very well.
6. Pigs that have been bitten should be treated promptly. Rinse and disinfect the wounds with 0.1% potassium permanganate, then apply iodine tincture or ferrous chloride to prevent suppuration. Antibiotics can be used to treat severe bite wounds.
7. Deworm regularly at set intervals and doses
Once pigs reach the appropriate weight for deworming, deworm them regularly and in measured doses. You can add a deworming powder containing avermectin, fenbendazole, and an imported intestinal mucosal repair agent to their feed. This can reduce parasite attacks on pigs, thereby alleviating or eliminating tail and ear biting.
8. You can also place old tires in the pen or hang iron chains inside it as playthings. These can divert pigs’ attention from pica and aggressive behavior, thereby alleviating or eliminating these behaviors. The results are very good.
However, this mutual-biting behavior is more common in early-weaned pig groups and is still rarely seen in fattening pig groups.