Explore all the information on
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.
Introduction: Tail necrosis in neonatal piglets was reported in several conventional pig herds in Belgium. The primary cause remains unclear. Mycotoxins are frequently mentioned to be involved, although a causal relationship has not been established yet. This case-control study aimed to investigate the involvement of feed-mycotoxins on the prevalence of tail necrosis in neonatal piglets. Materials and Methods: Ten conventional pig herds with and ten...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Zearalenone (ZEA) is a mycotoxin with estrogenic effects, swine being the most sensitive animals, particularly gilts which develop vulvovaginitis and enlargement of mammary glands and the reproductive tract. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects in gilts that result after consuming 500 µg/kg of ZEA, and the ability of two commercial antimycotoxin agents to reduce the bioavailability of this toxin during a period of 35 days. The...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 1
Technical Advances in Vitamin Physical Properties and Premix Performance
Suggested link
Introduction: Liquid feed is the main feeding practice for finishing pigs in Northern Italy and is increasingly becoming a reference for sows and piglets (Lizardo, 2003). The objective of this field survey was to characterize the fermentative profile of different liquid feeds according to the main ingredients used in Northern Italy. Materials and Methods: In order to monitor the fermentation profile of different types of liquid feeds used in fattening pigs in...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Recent research has demonstrated that maternal dietary supplementation of LactoShield® (seaweed extract) had beneficial effects on the growth performance, immune status and gastrointestinal health of weanling pigs. The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of maternal dietary LactoShield® inclusion on the reproductive performance of sows and the piglet during the suckling period. Materials and Methods: The farm...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Smart Sensors for Grain and Forage Management
Suggested link
Introduction: Sow body condition is a critical factor in all stages of the production cycle affecting health, welfare, performance and longevity. Additionally, the direct economic impact on annual costs of unoptimized feeding can be substantial. Therefore, it is important to monitor sows throughout their lifetime to ensure well-being, maximize production efficiency, optimize culling decisions and determine the adequacy of the feeding management practices. Multiple tools are...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction Pigs suffer high rates of embryonic mortality, especially during the peri-implantation period of pregnancy [1, 2] when embryos elongate rapidly, signal for pregnancy recognition, and attach to the uterine wall [3, 4]. Maternal nutrition plays an important role in the development and subsequent survival of conceptuses (embryo/fetus and its extra-embryonic membranes), especially the maternal dietary intake of amino acids (AAs) [5–7]. Both low and high...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Standardized ileal digestible lysine requirements for 7- to 11-kg weanling pigs fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet
Suggested link
Introduction On average, piglet livability in Europe is 83%, ranging from 70% to 90%. It is determined by the number of still births and pre-weaning mortality in a given litter. With the increasing litter size, piglet survival is a persistent challenge to pig producers. This calls for a feeding and management strategy to improve nutrition and wellbeing of the sow in the transition phase covering late gestation, farrowing, lactation and breeding. The transition period...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
...
Comments : 2
Recommendations: 0
Introduction The major goal of the swine industry is to minimize neonatal mortality and improve weaning weights of neonatal pigs because their adaptability to weaning and their rates of growth to market weight are positively affected by weaning weight [1]. The total net profit of a swine production unit is primarily determined by both the number and size of piglets produced per year per sow [2]. Recent attempts to increase litter size have led to increased prevalence of...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
The feed intake of sows is important, because sows are becoming more productive thanks to the continuous genetic improvements made by pig breeding companies. This increase in litter size leads to a huge burden on the sow to feed her litter. The objective of the sows is simple: to supply more milk - and for this purpose, they need to eat. Listen to Professor Bruno Silva from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil to know more!...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 3
Sekhou Cisse (Nor-Feed, France) presents his poster regarding the effect of this additive on microbiota modulation, during the Symposium on Gut Health in St. Louis, USA....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 3
Chengbo Yang (University of Manitoba) comments on fermentation rate, use of enzymes and diet formulation with alternative ingredients, during the Symposium on Gut Health in St. Louis, USA....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 1
Study of Effectiveness of Hygen Pro® Strept Phytobiotic versus Clinical Strains of Streptococcus Suis of Porcine Origin
Suggested link
Introduction: Over the last few years, the number of born and weaned piglets per sow has been increased continuously. The aim of this study was to investigate, whether a separate allocation of a high fiber diet in addition to an ad libitum feeding of sows in farrowing pens, leads to beneficial effects for sows and piglets. Materials and Methods: From day 109 (d-7) of gestation, a total of 34 sows were fed daily two portions of a commercial lactation...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Our sow cannot stand. Its back legs have no strength. It doesn't eat unless fed through a syringe. It's 1 week now since it became like paralyzed. It is 3 months and 15 days pregnant now. We have injected her antibiotics and vitamins but no effect. What should we do? ...
Comments : 4
Recommendations: 0
...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Technical Advances in Vitamin Physical Properties and Premix Performance
Suggested link
Bruno Silva (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) explains the need to adapt feeding programs to the characteristics of young and adult sows, during IPVS2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 3
Bruno Silva (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) talks about what needs to be understood about the animal in order to use precision feeding, during IPVS2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Smart Sensors for Grain and Forage Management
Suggested link
Ken Stalder (Iowa State University) discussed breeding and other topics during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
INTRODUCTION One of the greatest challenges in optimizing growth performance and health of newly weaned pigs is to overcome low and variable feed consumption which adversely affects gastrointestinal health during this critical transition period on commercial swine farms (Pluske et al., 1997; Langendijk et al. 2007; Dong and Pluske, 2007). Therefore, dietary interventions that encourage faster adaptation and greater feed consumption, while also improving energy and...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
