Precautions during the transportation of piglets by piglet transport vehicles
It is preferable not to use vehicles used for transporting commercial pigs to transport breeding pigs. Before transporting the breeding pigs, the vehicles and tools should be disinfected with highly effective disinfectants for at least two or more times. It is better to leave the vehicles idle for one day before loading the pigs. Before loading the pigs, they should be thoroughly disinfected with a less irritating disinfectant (such as dimethylaminoethyl iodine complex) once, and a disinfection certificate should be obtained.
During the transportation process, every effort should be made to reduce the stress and limb injury of the breeding pigs, and prevent deaths and infections caused by diseases during the transportation. The breeding farm is required to stop feeding the pigs to be transported 2 hours in advance, and when loading the pigs onto the vehicle, the process should not be too hasty. Special attention should be paid to protecting the limbs of the breeding pigs, and the vehicle doors should be fixed properly after loading.
For long-distance transportation vehicles, the compartments can be padded with materials. In winter, straw, rice husks, and sawdust can be used; in summer, fine sand can be placed. This is to reduce the possibility of damage to the limbs and hooves of the breeding pigs. The number of pigs loaded should not be excessive. Loading too densely can cause squeezing and lead to the death of the breeding pigs. The compartments for transporting breeding pigs should be divided into several sections, with 4 to 6 pigs in each section. The partitions should be made of smooth steel pipes to avoid injuring the breeding pigs. Male pigs that have reached sexual maturity should be separated and placed separately. They can be sprayed with a strong-smelling disinfectant (such as compound phenol) or mixed with female pigs to prevent them from interacting with each other.
For long-distance transported breeding pigs, a long-acting antibiotic should be injected into each pig at a dose of 1ml per 10kg to prevent bacterial diseases from infecting the pig herd during transportation. For breeding pigs showing particularly excited behavior, appropriate sedative injections such as chlorpromazine can be administered.