MORTALITY IN THE GROWER FINISHER PHASE ON FARROW-TO-FINISH SWINE OPERATIONS IN THE UNITED-STATES/

For 327 farrow-to-finish swine operations that had greater than or equ al to 300 finisher pigs and that provided mortality information in the National Animal Health Monitoring System 1995 National Swine Study, c onducted in 16 states in the USA, mortality ranged from 0 to 27.5% in the grower/finisher production phase over a 6-month period. Mean morta lity was estimated to be 2.1% (S.E. = 0.2%) during the grower/finisher production phase for farrow-to-finish operations with greater than or equal to 300 finisher pigs in the 16 states included in the study. Ov erall, 8.9% (S.E. = 2.1%) of far row-to-finish operations had greater than or equal to 4% mortality among finisher pigs. Stepwise logistic r egression revealed that operations that used a below-floor slurry or d eep-pit waste-storage system in the grower/finisher facility were less likely to have greater than or equal to 4% mortality than operations that did not have a below floor slurry or deep pit waste storage syste m. In addition, operations where the average weaning age was less than 28 days had higher odds of having greater than or equal to 4% mortali ty than operations that weaned their pigs later. Operations where pseu dorabies virus had been diagnosed among finisher pigs in the 12 months prior to interview also had increased odds of experiencing greater th an or equal to 4% mortality. ((C) Elsevier/Inra).