1

CIRCOVAC® piglet vaccination:a 3-year field experience

Dr Wouter STYNEN

Clinique Vétérinaire de l’Elorn

Landerneau, France

2

Context in our vet practice

• Located in Finistère– High pig density– Low health status due to

• Numerous viral and microbial circulation involving PRRSV, SIV, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, PCV2

• Secondary bacterial infections

• High “residual” mortality in fattening period

• Heterogeneity in growth

3

Farms involved in the survey

• 69 farrow-to-finish farms– 330 sows on average– Batch management: 5-7-10-20 batches

• Criteria to implement CIRCOVAC vaccination in piglets– Heterogeneity in fattening period:

“Laurel and Hardy syndrome”– Pragmatic approach

4

First feedback?

• More than 500.000 piglets vaccinated from 3 to 6 weeks

• Good safety• Most farmers maintained the vaccination

5

First feedback?

• Significant reduction of the mortality rate

• Sharp increase of the ADG reduction up to 20 days of duration of fattening period

• Stabilization of PRDC

• Focus on 3 farms

6

Farm L

• 220 sows– Genetic breed: Naïma x Pietrain– 100% pigs raised on site– Vaccination program

• M. hyopneumoniae• PRRSV (live)

• Sows vaccinated with CIRCOVAC since 2005 – Mortality rate (W to S) decreased from 7 to 4%

• End of 2007: wish to increase growth and homogeneity– Implementation of CIRCOVAC piglet vaccination at 4

weeks

7

Farm L: results in fattening period

2675

27832802

2777

2600

2650

2700

2750

2800

2850

2007 2008 2009 2010

Pig meat produced / sow /year (in kg)

193

190189

183

178

180

182

184

186

188

190

192

194

2007 2008 2009 2010

Standardized age at slaughter weight(115 kg)

Kg

Days

8

3,08

2,99

2,85

2,76

2,6

2,7

2,8

2,9

3

3,1

2007 2008 2009 2010

FCR tech 30-115

Farm L: results in fattening period

g

727

739

745

758

710

720

730

740

750

760

2007 2008 2009 2010

ADWG 30-115

9

Farm R

• No PCV2 vaccination before implementation of CIRCOVAC in piglets

• CIRCOVAC vaccination at 3 weeks of age: ½ batch vaccinated vs ½ batch non vaccinated

• Parameters analysed: – Mortality rate – Carcass weight– Homogeneity– Lung score

10

Farm R: results in fattening period

Control Vaccinated ∆

Number of piglets 585 579

Mortality rate (W to S) 5 % 2.6 % - 2.4

Carcass weight 87 kg 88.4 kg + 1.4 kg

Homogeneity (% in standard range)

87 88.4 + 1.4

Lung score (% without lesion)

62.4 69.9 + 7.5

11

Farm F

• No PCV2 vaccination before implementation of CIRCOVAC in piglets

• CIRCOVAC vaccination at 4 weeks of age: ½ batch vaccinated vs ½ batch non vaccinated

• Parameters analysed: – Mortality rate– ADWG– Carcass weight

12

Farm F: results in post weaning and fattening period

Control Vaccinated ∆

Number of piglets 280 171

Mortality rate in PW & pre-fattening period

5,0 % 2,2 % - 2.8

Mortality rate in fattening period

0,7% 1,1 % + 0.4

Mortality rate (W to S) 5,7% 3,3 % - 2.4

Slaughter weight (kg) 109,9 111,2 + 1.3 kg

ADWG 8 – 115 kg (standardized)

599 g/ day 675 g/day + 76 g/day

Age at 115 kg (standardized) 207 days 188 days - 19 days

13

Farm F: results in post weaning and fattening period

14

Farm F: age at slaughter (% of the batch slaughtered according to the age)

24%

44%

26%

3%

0%

26%25%23%

4%

16%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

168 178 196 210 224

Control batches Vaccinated batches

%

day

15

Farm F: results obtained since CIRCOVAC® vaccination

• Decrease of mortality (W to S): - 2,4 %

• Better growth: +76 g / day

• Better homogeneity in vaccinated batches: (3 departures to slaughter in vaccinated batches instead of 5 for non vaccinated ones)

16

Conclusion based on our field experience

• Return to homogeneity• Benefits include better growth, reduced mortality,

increase weight at slaughter• A “One-way ticket”: vaccination most often

maintained • PCV2 vaccination in our daily practice

– Can be considered as ”life insurance for piglets”– Should be a routine vaccination like Myco vaccination

1 € invested = 4 € profit !

17

Thank you for your attention