22 The Business of Canadian Hog Farming Better Pork | December 2024 HERD HEALTH Deadstock is an unfortunate but inevitable part of raising livestock. Unexpected loss of animals is a continuing source of frustration on swine farms worldwide. Dead animals represent a reduction of future income and a loss of invested time, feed, and energy. However, they also provide an opportunity – the opportunity to learn about the health of our herd, to monitor trends in health challenges, and to inform treatment protocols in the future. On-farm necropsies, otherwise known as post-mortems, allow these opportunities to be realized. Your herd veterinarian has received extensive training and gained a wealth of experience in diagnostic post-mortems, and regularly carries these out on farms. In situations where large numbers of animals are sick or dying, they are your best resource to investigate the problem and hopefully find a solution. In less extreme situations, or if your veterinarian is not able to attend the farm on the first day a situation arises, performing a basic post-mortem is readily achievable for nearly all producers. Furthermore, with the availability of camera phones, it is now possible to seek veterinary counsel on your findings even when they cannot attend in person. When to do a post-mortem If you are interested in and capable of performing post-mortems, any fresh deadstock provides an opportunity to learn. Even if the cause of death is readily apparent, it is beneficial to attempt a post-mortem to build confidence and increase your understanding of what the inside of a pig looks like. Ideally, you would start the learning process with the help of your herd vet to guide you in where to start, what to look for, and what images to share. You should not attempt a post-mortem if you are worried that your herd has been exposed to a foreign animal disease or other reportable disease. For example, if you see sudden large increases in mortality, if you see multiple animals with spreading red to purple patches on their abdomen, or blister-like structures on their snouts or feet. In these situations, contact your vet immediately. What you will need Time and interest, a well-lit area that is easy to clean, a clean, sharp knife, personal protective equipment including multiple pairs of rubber gloves and a mask, a high-resolution camera, and potentially clean sandwich bags to collect samples in. Your basic guide You cannot have too many photos. Document all things that seem unusual to you and take regular photographs DERIVING VALUE FROM DEADSTOCK An introduction to on-farm necropsies. By Jack Krone Jack Krone photos
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