title: Epidemiological studies of pig diseases: 2. Post-weaning diarrhoea and performance in Western Australian pigs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine in Australian pig herds the accuracy of French protocols for risk factor assessment of post-weaning diarrhoea and illthrift.
  
  
  METHODS
  French protocols for the collection of data on health indicators and risk factors for post-weaning diarrhoea were conducted on 54 batches of weaner pigs from 28 Western Australian pig herds during three years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Large variations in post-weaning performance were found. About one-third of the batches were growing at < 200 g/day during the 3 weeks after weaning, and 54% had growth rates of < 250 g/day. Weaning age and weight of at least 30 days and 7.9 kg, respectively, optimised weaner performance. Other risk factors associated with little post-weaning diarrhoea and good weaner performance were high creep feed intakes, relatively little diarrhoea as suckers, and, contrary to expectations, large temperature fluctuations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the 'predictability' of post-weaning problems as assessed by measurement of risk status, was good. However, the model was less accurate at predicting the performance of a single batch of pigs.
authors.affiliation: Animal Industries Division, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia.
authors.forename: S Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Skirrow
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Buddle
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mercy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Madec
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Nicholls
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D008954:Models, Biological; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012307:Risk Factors; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014886:Weaning; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology