AGH w/runs

[bluebar23]

I have two AGH feeder gilts, 8 months old. We get throwaway produce from the local organic grocery twice a week, and we have been feeding them that almost exclusively for a couple of months (they also get an occasional flake of hay, grass/alfalfa mix). This morning, they have diarrhea. It is not absolute liquid, but it is light-colored and runny and sticking to their butts (very different from their normal, um, output).

I have little experience with pigs and none with AGH or pig diarrhea, so I'm in need of some help!

I can only think of two recent abnormalities. DH normally feeds the pigs, but Sunday morning he was sick so I fed them. As they've been getting bigger, I've been concerned that he hasn't been feeding them enough, so I took the opportunity to increase the amount. I fed them about 30% more than they usually were getting. They didn't quite clean it up, so I conceded that I was wrong about them needing more feed. We have been feeding them a bit lighter since, to encourage them to clean up their leftovers. This morning (Wednesday) they got half their normal amount, and only ate half of that, and I noticed the runny poo.

Also, in the last batch of produce their were a couple clamshells of salad greens, including some spinach. A couple of them sat at room temp for a day or two before they got fed.

Any ideas/suggestions? We carefully sort through the produce we get and we don't feed them anything that looks nasty. Our weather is quite cold right now, highs in the teens and lows around zero, with about 6" of snow on the ground.

[corrae]

Coccidia? bluebar23....

And here's a great resource!

www.thepigsite.com/diseaseinfo/problemsolver.php

[bluebar23]

My nemesis!!! Okay, could be... That's a great resource, thanks!

[farmel]

We've bought in feeders a couple of times that ended up with the runs. I like to take a wait and see approach as long as they're drinking and remaining active.
Do you have something you ALWAYS feed, like milk or eggs or hog chow or soaked grains? Sometimes it's helpful to get back to basics for a few days to allow their systems to return to baseline.

[Deleted]

I don't feed vegetable waste in any quantity, so no help there. My pigs will all have super loose poop when I first put them out on rye pasture. I just make sure they have enough hay to offset it. You can always have a fecal run by your vet if you are concerned about parasites. How do their coats look?

[bluebar23]

Thanks, farmel and @amyp . We've had these girls since November and have been feeding them this diet steadily since December. They don't get the exact same food every time, but it's always a fairly consistent variety of fruits and veg. (The only "unusual" thing recently was when I overfed them Sunday morning.) Since I first noticed the loose stools yesterday morning they have acted totally normally; they look and behave just fine. And I think what I saw then was the worst of it. Stools since have still been lighter and looser than normal, but no more sticking to them. I'm leaning now toward it being some they ate that just threw them off. I'm keeping a close eye on it, but if they continue to look and act normal and steadily improve, I probably won't worry about it. If it does persist I'll take a fecal in to the vet for sure.

[northstar]

I really think they need more than just vegetables. Just my opinion.
Marsha

[Kelsey]

Feb 8, 2018 20:28:16 GMT -5 northstar said:

I really think they need more than just vegetables. Just my opinion.
Marsha

I agree. Pigs require animal protein (or soy) - meat scraps, milk or eggs - or lots of bugs and grubs from free-ranging (more than a small pasture pen). It doesn't sound like they're getting enough.

[bluebar23]

Okay! I had read that AGH do best on a mostly veg diet. I had planned to also give them milk once Maggie freshens; she’s due in s few days but I think it’s gonna be a couple weeks yet. We have moved their pen around but it’s pretty frozen here, I’m sure they’re not getting any bugs. I do hard boil them extra eggs when I have them but I haven’t the past few weeks since it’s been cold and we don’t have lights on the hens. They also got about 10 lbs of leftover (cooked) roast beef from my SIL’s wedding over a few days a week or so ago. I do give them flakes of alfalfa or alfalfa mix hay. What else would be a good source of protein for them?

[northstar]

I'm giving mine sprouted barley, about 2 quarts a day, and about a quart of soaked COB, and minerals, plus grass hay and vegetables. I upped it when I thought she looked a little thin. I know that people say that AGH gain weight on air, but it's just compared to commercial hogs.
Marsha

[Kelsey]

I would start them on some grain now (slowly), then feed grain and milk once Maggie calves.
Rolled or ground grains are best as pigs don't digest whole grains efficiently like cows do (the grain just comes out whole). You can feed it dry or soak in water for a day or two, or use whole grains but sprout them first.
Field peas are a good source of protein - a substitute for soy. You'll need to soak them for a couple days in water first. You can also just feed a bit of commercial pig ration until you start getting milk.
AGH's require less protein than other pigs so I'm not sure how little protein they can subsist on. But even AGH's need some grain, dairy, eggs, or meat - especially in the winter.
I would start with a cup of grain AM and PM for each, then go up to 1-2 quarts each per day.

[bluebar23]

Thank you! I started them on a little 16% sweet feed this morning (rolled grain and pellets soaked in molasses) along with more alfalfa. I will continue to monitor them. I did catch a fresh one this morning and while still loose it definitely does not smell bad/off.

[bluebar23]

Droppings are looking MUCH better today, nearly normal for both of them. I suspect it was indeed a dietary issue. Will continue with grain and add milk when Maggie freshens. Thanks for the help!!