Integrated quality control project: relationships between pathological findings detected at the slaughterhouse and information gathered in a veterinary health scheme at pig farms.

In September 1986 an Integrated Quality Control Project (IQC) was started in the Netherlands. Over a period of 2 years a veterinary herd health scheme was applied to 21 growing and finishing pig herds. Information was collected concerning medical treatment, classified as group treatment and individual treatment, clinical observations, and housing factors. The main purpose of this project was to investigate relationships between pathological findings detected at the slaughterhouse and information gathered on the farm. Medical group treatments, clinical observations and housing did not reliably predict pathological findings. Individual medical treatment for respiratory disorders, started in the last 30 days before slaughter, proved to be positively related to the pathological findings 'pneumonia' and 'pleuritis' detected at the slaughterhouse. This may be useful for selecting pigs at the slaughterhouse that will require special treatment for the removal of the pleura parietalis. During the first year of the project the average daily gain (ADG) was 27.2 g. more than during the preceding 2 years (P < 0.0001). Coughing was negatively related with the ADG. More than 75 coughs per compartment during 10 minutes, recorded more than 50 days before slaughter, was positively related to a depression of the ADG (20 g; P < 0.05). Relationships between group medical treatments and ADG were statistically significant, when the group medical treatment was started more than 20 days before slaughter. Negative influences on the ADG were higher if the treatment was started closer to the slaughter date.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)