Well-controlled
range finding studies using pregnant sows in an environment infected
with Clostridium perfringens were conducted under investigational
new animal drug regulations to establish an optimal dose/duration
of administration profile. Sows (with controls) were fed BMD at levels
of 0, 50, 150 and 250 grams/ton of feed to determine an optimal dose
as measured by control of clostridial enteritis in piglets and increased
rate of weight gain in said piglets. Results from these studies showed
that the 250 g/ton dose level was better than the 150 g/ton dose level
in the primary efficacy parameters of scour scores and mortality due
to clostridium, and these parameters were near maximum efficacy at
the 250 g/ton dose.
Four well-controlled
replicated studies were conducted in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri
and Nebraska to confirm the efficacy of BMD for control of clostridial
enteritis in neonatal pigs. These trials, conducted among natural
outbreaks of the disease, entailed feeding pregnant sows of varying
parity BMD at 250 grams/ton of feed for a minimum of 14 days and
a maximum of 18 days before through 21 days after farrowing. Since
the sow was the experimental unit, piglet mortality due to clostridial
enteritis was expressed as a percent of pigs born alive and average
daily gain and scouring score were expressed as a litter average.
Scour score ranged from 1 (normal) to 4 (severe diarrhea). Details
and results of the individual trials follow:
Pivotal Study No.
1 - Trial MO-S-32-88
A. Investigator:
Dr. James Lucas
605 State Street
Bedford, IA 50833
B. Location of Trial:
Hopkins, MO
C. General Design of
the Trial:
Purpose of Study: To
establish that suckling piglets born to sows fed BMD at 250 grams/ton
of feed for 14 days prior to and 21 days after farrowing experienced
less morbidity and mortality and increased rate of weight gain compared
to offspring of unmedicated sows under conditions where clostridial
enteritis due to C. perfringens is present.
Test Animals: Pregnant
sows of locally popular crossbreed at least 2-1/2 weeks before farrowing
were used. Animals were ranked by farrowing date and paired off,
each pair treated and control were assigned randomly to a block.
Treatments were assigned randomly to the pen with the restriction
that there was one pen per block for each of the two treatments.
Health status of the piglets was the criterion of efficacy as measured
by percent mortality, degree of diarrhea observed and rate of weight
gain.
Treatment: Pregnant
sows were given feed medicated with BMD at a level of 0 and 250
grams/ton of feed - 13 animals per treatment.
Results:
The medicated group
of sows (250 grams/ton) lost fewer pigs from all causes than the
controls, (7 vs 31), and fewer from Clostridium perfringens,
(2 vs 24), even though there were more sows in the treatment group
(13 vs 10). There was a higher incidence of scours in the control
groups. The pigs in the medicated group weighed more at weaning.
Results are summarized in the table below.
Effect of Feeding
BMD to Pregnant Sows on Mortality Due to C. perfringens,
the Average Daily Gain and the Scouring of Newborn Piglets
------------Piglet Performance(a)------------
BMD,g/ton No.Sows Mortality,% ADG,lb/day Scour Scores
0 10 (b) 27.3 0.420 1.90
250 13 2.0 0.468 1.06
(a) The sow is the
experimental unit. Percent mortality due to C. perfringens,
ADG and scour score are per litter data for piglets.
(b) Three control (0
g/ton) sows did not farrow within the required time period.
Pivotal Study No. 2 - Trial IL-S-33-89
A. Investigator:
Dr. Dennis Mefford
P. O. Box 371
Oneida, IL 61467
B. Location of Trial:
Woodhull, IL
C. General Design of
the Trial:
Purpose of Study: To
establish that suckling piglets born to sows fed BMD at 250 grams/ton
of feed for 14 days prior to through 21 days after farrowing experienced
less morbidity and mortality and increased rate of weight gain compared
to offspring of unmedicated sows under conditions where clostridial
enteritis due to C. perfringens is present.
Test Animals: The test
system was pregnant sows in individual test pens on a practical
swine farm where the disease is prevalent. The sows were on test
from approximately 2.5 weeks pre-farrowing to 3 weeks post- farrowing.
Animals were ranked by farrowing date and paired off, each pair
treated and control were assigned randomly to a block. Treatments
were assigned randomly to the pen with the restriction that there
was one pen per block for each of the two treatments. Health status
of the piglets was the criterion of efficacy as measured by percent
mortality, degree of diarrhea observed and rate of weight gain.
Treatment: Pregnant
sows were given feed medicated with BMD at a level of 0 and 250
grams/ton of feed - 12 animals per treatment.
Results:
The BMD treated sows
weaned 8.83 pigs per litter. The control sows weaned 6.77 pigs per
litter. This 2.06 pig increase in weaning average was primarily
due to a 1.66 pig per litter reduction in death loss due to clostridial
diarrhea. The pigs from the BMD treated sows had only slightly higher
21-day weights per pig. The reduced weaning average of over two
pigs per litter in the control sows probably reduced the competition
for available milk allowing each pig more nutrition. However, litter
weaning weights were higher for the BMD treated sows due to the
increase in the average number of pigs weaned.
The improved average
number of pigs weaned and weaning weights in conjunction with a
reduction in pigs requiring treatment for clostridial scours as
evidenced by the improvement in fecal consistency scores, shows
that BMD treatment of the sows is an effective method of controlling
clostridial enteritis. Results are summarized in the table below.
Effect of Feeding
BMD to Pregnant Sows on Mortality Due to C. perfringens,
the Average Daily Gain and the Scouring of Newborn Piglets
------------Piglet Performance(a)------------
BMD,g/ton No.Sows Mortality,% ADG,lb/day Scour Scores
0 13 (b) 21.1 0.451 1.95
250 12 7.2 0.455 1.35
(a) The sow is the
experimental unit. Percent mortality due to C. perfringens,
ADG and scour score are per litter data for piglets.
(b) One extra control
sow included.
Pivotal Study No.
3 - Trial MN-S-34-89
A. Investigator:
Dr. James Cecil
101 19th Street
Spirit Lake, IA 51360
B. Location of Trial:
Lakefield, MN
C. General Design of
the Trial:
Purpose of Study: To
establish that suckling piglets born to sows fed BMD at 250 grams/ton
of feed for 14 days prior to through 21 days after farrowing experienced
less morbidity and mortality and increased rate of weight gain compared
to offspring of unmedicated sows under conditions where clostridial
enteritis due C. perfringens is present.
Test Animals: The test
system was pregnant sows in individual test pens on a practical
swine farm where the disease is prevalent. The sows were on test
from approximately 2.5 weeks pre-farrowing to 3 weeks post- farrowing.
Treatments were assigned randomly to the pen with the restriction
that there was one pen per block for each of the two treatments.
Health status of the piglets was the criterion of efficacy as measured
by percent mortality, degree of diarrhea observed and rate of weight
gain.
Treatment: Pregnant
sows were given feed medicated with BMD at a level of 0 and 250
grams/ton of feed - 11 animals per treatment.
Results:
The results of feeding
BMD to pregnant sows on the mortality due to clostridial enteritis,
average daily gain and scouring of newborn piglets are summarized
in the table below. Mortality declined from 25.4% in controls to
0% in piglets from sows fed BMD. Scour score was also improved from
1.46 in piglets from control sows to 1.00 in piglets from sows fed
BMD. (Scour score 1 = no diarrhea, 4 = greatest degree of diarrhea.)
Average daily gain was improved from 0.429 lb/day in controls to
0.525 lb/day in piglets from sows fed BMD.
Effect of Feeding
BMD to Pregnant Sows on Mortality Due to C. perfringens,
the Average Daily Gain and the Scouring of Newborn Piglets
------------Piglet Performance(a)------------
BMD,g/ton No.Sows Mortality,% ADG,lb/day Scour Scores
0 11(10) (b) 25.4 0.429 1.46
250 11 0.0 0.525 1.00
(a) The sow is the experimental unit. Percent mortality due to C.
perfringens, ADG and scour score are per litter data for piglets.
(b) Average daily gain
and scour score data were not available for one control litter due
to 100% mortality.
Pivotal Study No.
4 - Trial NE-S-35-89
A. Investigator:
Dr. Roy Schultz
RR 1, Box 46
Avoca, IA 51521
B. Location of Trial:
Herman, NE
C. General Design of
the Trial:
Purpose of Study: To
establish that suckling piglets born to sows fed BMD at 250 grams/ton
of feed for 14 days prior to through 21 days after farrowing experienced
less morbidity and mortality and increased rate of weight gain compared
to offspring of unmedicated sows under conditions where clostridial
enteritis due to C. perfringens is present.
Test Animals: The test
system was pregnant sows in individual test pens on a practical
swine farm where the disease is prevalent. The sows were on test
from approximately 2.5 weeks pre-farrowing to 3 weeks post- farrowing.
Treatments were assigned randomly to the pen with the restriction
that there was one pen per block for each of the two treatments.
Health status of the piglets was the criterion of efficacy as measured
by percent mortality, degree of diarrhea observed and rate of weight
gain.
Treatment: Pregnant
sows were given feed medicated with BMD at a level of 0 and 250
grams/ton of feed - 11 animals per treatment.
Results: The results
of feeding BMD to pregnant sows on the mortality due to clostridial
enteritis, average daily gain and scouring of newborn piglets are
summarized in the table below. Mortality declined from 22.2% in
controls to 1.5% in piglets from sows fed BMD. Scour score was also
improved from 1.92 in piglets from control sows to 1.08 in piglets
from sows fed BMD. (Scour score 1 = no diarrhea, 4 = greatest degree
of diarrhea.) Average daily gain was improved from 0.380 lb/day
in controls to 0.494 lb/day in piglets from sows fed BMD.
Effect of Feeding
BMD to Pregnant Sows on Mortality Due to C. perfringens,
the Average Daily Gain and the Scouring of Newborn Piglets
------------Piglet Performance(a)------------
BMD,g/ton No.Sows Mortality,% ADG,lb/day Scour Scores
0 11 22.2 0.380 1.92
250 11 1.5 0.494 1.08
(a) The sow is the experimental
unit. Percent mortality due to C. perfringens, ADG and scour
score are per litter data for piglets.
