The Great Benefits of Good Old Pigsty Whitewash

Intestinal disorders continue to be a major concern in the swine industry as diarrhea leads to sickness in piglets and young. US pig company Maschhoffs has partnered with porcine disease experts to paint a picture of a more holistic approach to solving intestinal problems in pigs, going beyond conventional antimicrobial treatment.

As a result, among a long list of causes of diarrhea in pigs and possible solutions, one particular production practice has been identified that has a significant impact on gut HEALTH in nursery and nursery piglets.

it is known that care for the health of the intestines of pigs begins even before farrowing. And in the farrowing area, whitewashing has been identified as the best potential solution to improve hygiene and protect the intestinal health of piglets at an early stage.

Whitewashing is the practice of hydrating and quenching a lime mortar and then applying the solution to cover surfaces in the farrowing unit, in simple terms, it is an affordable disinfectant that is as effective as alternative formulations, and sometimes even superior. Why is whitewash replaced with something else? Probably due to the need to purchase special equipment for mixing and application, as well as safety precautions due to the caustic nature of the product. But that same high alkalinity makes it possible to reduce pathogens more effectively than some other types of commonly used disinfectants (and less alkaline ones).

One of the pathogens considered in the study was Isospora suis, which causes coccidiosis in piglets. All safety precautions and PPE were used in the whitewashing of the premises, including goggles, boots with safety socks, chemical goggles, rain gear and chemical resistant gloves. The room was allowed to dry completely.

When comparing whitewash with a popular pigsty disinfectant, whitewash proved to be the best in controlling the prevalence of diarrhea in piglets at three days of age and, accordingly, in reducing pre-weaning mortality.

Since then, the company has introduced whitewashing as a system-wide tool, which has greatly improved sanitation. Thus, not all old methods are unnecessary in modern pig production. Some are quite applicable in today's realities with good results.