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Sow feeding management
An essential part of any strategy to optimize sow reproductive performance, increase efficiency of feed usage and lower culling rate, is to control weight and backfat gain during gestation and weight and backfat loss in lactation. This is best achieved by individually feeding each sow a well balanced diet, and basing daily feed allowances according to an estimate of sow bodyweight and backfat thickness.
A well-designed feeding program can help meet operational goals for sow farm efficiency and profit by minimizing feed waste and maximizing sow productivity. An effective sow feeding program starts with breeding gilts within the right window of weight and feeding them according to recommendations during their first gestation. This can help maximize the number of sows in ideal condition at first farrowing.
Additionally, knowing and maintaining an ideal sow body condition score is a key strategic area for long-term success. The body condition of sows in the barn is closely related to the profitability of the sow farm because it impacts sow longevity and reproductive performance. Keeping sows in the ideal body condition – not too fat and not too thin – is essential. A successful feeding program includes recording data and linking body condition to feeding so you can correctly adjust each sow’s feed ration.
Mike Tokach (Kansas State University) talks about sow body condition and its effect on reproductive performance, during the Nutrimas workshop....
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Mike Tokach (Kansas State University) comments on different levels of feed intake, during the Nutrimas workshop....
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Mike Tokach (Kansas State University) comments on trends in sow nutrition, litter size and nutrient requirements, during the Nutrimas workshop....
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Mike Tokach (Kansas State University) explains changes in piglet body weight and sow milk production, during the Nutrimas workshop....
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Introduction: The EU has prohibited the use of gestating crates for pregnant sows. However, keeping pregnant sows in an individual crate is still widely used in Asian countries. As modern type of group housed sows with individual feeding, electronic sow feeding (ESF) system is introduced in EU. However, a few studies were conducted to figure out the long-term and carry-over effects of static group during gestation to lactation on reproductive performance and physical activities...
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Bruno Silva (Professor and Researcher, Federal University of Minas Gerais) explains how important precision feeding is when controlling sow intake, in this Engormix interview....
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Bruno Silva (Professor and Researcher, Federal University of Minas Gerais) shares his practical experience in sow productivity, gestation, lactation, and transition diets, in this Engormix interview....
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Bruno Silva (Professor and Researcher, Federal University of Minas Gerais) comments on the different considerations and conditions regarding sow feed intake, in this Engormix interview.
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Introduction: Animal welfare, has been traditionally evaluated by measuring level of aggression and stress parameters. However, feeding behavior can also provide a valuable indication of comfort or stress for gestating sows in large groups, when fed with ESF systems. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Albesa-Ramadera a 3300 sow, Site 1 farm, based in Catalonia, Spain. The farm has large group gestation (128 to 175 sows per group) and utilizes...
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INTRODUCTION Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by different fungal species, Fusarium being responsible for most contamination of feedstuffs in the field. Among more than 400 identified mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are of most concern for the pig industry. Pigs are very sensitive to both DON and ZEN. When acute dietary exposure occurs, DON can lead to vomiting and feed refusal (1), whereas ZEN has oestrogenic effects (2). However, in practice, acute...
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I have a sow in its second month of pregnancy who ate well the 60 first days, but now everything changes, and it doesn´t want to eat anything,and when it drinks water then it vomits with a yellow colour and with a strong smell. We gave it antibiotics to stop the pain but we had no luck. We are desesperated since 8 days has passed by in the same situation. What do you think? ...
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Introduction: Increased litter sizes due to hyper prolific sows have led to litters with up to 30% of piglets being born with signs of intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and thereby needing additional care or/and nutritional supplements. Up to 48 % of piglets that die before weaning have empty stomachs, and it is estimated that piglets need at least 250 g of colostrum within the first 24 hours to survive. It has previously been estimated that IUGR piglets only...
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Introduction: Previous research showed that one out of three sows produces insufficient colostrum and milk for the offspring. This may lead to reduced piglet performance. The most obvious solution is to increase the colostrum and milk production of the sow. However, optimizing the composition of sow colostrum and milk may also be a valuable preventive measure. Therefore, knowledge of the composition of the mammary secretions and influencing factors is important. The aim of this...
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My sow is 2 months pregnant...sudden she stop feeding vet advise me to give Zymolive syrup and multivit inj....but still she didn't show any sign of feeding.she didn't eat for 5 days now...feel so worried please i need suggestion ...
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Todd Thurman (Swine Insights International) talks about gestation and lactation feed, the increased use of technology, and the importance of aligning nutrition and feeding strategies, in this Engormix interview....
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Alex Alonso Wang (Big Herdsman) shows their poultry and swine equipment, explaining the features and benefits of the layer cage and the sow pen, during the Avicola Porcinos Expo 2023 in Buenos Aires, Argentina....
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The United States Department of Agriculture reported that sow mortality ranges from 2.5% to 3.7% each year, depending on herd size 1 . It also was stated that annual mortality rates of sows in typical confined-sow herds should not exceed 3% 2 . In contrast, some sow herds experience annual losses of at least 10% of inventoried females 3-6 . The reasons for sow mortality are poorly understood; however, larger herd size, greater parity, and short lactation length...
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Paul Yeske (Swine Vet Center) talks about control programs and the three stages where the risk should be minimized, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
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Implications Nowadays, nearly one out of seven piglets dies before weaning in European commercial herds. Such a high mortality rate is a major source of economic loss and a subject for animal welfare concern. By providing energy and antibodies, colostrum plays an essential role in piglet survival. However, colostrum yield and concentrations of immunoglobulins were shown to be highly variable from sow to sow, and causes for this variability are not fully known yet. A better...
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