Maintaining a high level of dietary intake of lactating sows not only benefits the littermates, but also has a positive impact on litters in the future and improves the reproductive performance of the sow for the rest of her life. If lactating sows do not consume enough energy to meet their needs for maintenance, lactation and growth, problems arise, especially for the first and second sows.
If this happens, the sows' body fat will be mobilized to synthesize the milk and the sow's body condition will decline. The loss of fat in sows, along with the loss of protein, can have an effect on the reproductive performance of sows. The time interval from weaning to estrus and breeding of such sows will be prolonged, the number of ovulation will be reduced, and the number of litters and the rate of delivery will decrease in each subsequent period.
Lower intake of lactating sows also has an effect on this litter. There is a direct positive correlation between sow feed intake and piglet production performance. Sows increase feed intake, milk production will increase, and piglets gain weight. High sows’ lactation also reduces pre-weaning mortality in the bred piglets.
In order to ensure that sows eat enough feed during the lactation period to avoid excessive weight loss during lactation, the following measures can be taken:
Under commercial production conditions, dietary levels during pregnancy usually do not affect litter size, unless feed intake is limited too low, causing a decrease in the number of ovulations and a decrease in embryo survival. The target value of the gestational weight gain of the sow should be set based on the weight of the sow at weaning and the thickness of the backfat.
The backfat thickness should be between 18 and 20 millimeters for every parity sow. From the 100th day after mating, sows should be given 1kg of feed each day.
It is necessary to ensure that a certain amount of fresh feed is maintained throughout the day in the feeding sow's trough, and the sows are free to feed at any time. Managers should ensure that the sows have the maximum feed intake in the shortest possible time. This is especially important as the period of breastfeeding becomes shorter and shorter in modern swine patterns.
The quality of milk and the protein content also affect the sow's feed intake. Sows fed 12-14% crude protein diets had lower intakes than those fed 16-18% crude protein. High-protein dairy feeds also increase weaning weight in piglets. The protein content also affects the conception rate and the time interval between weaning and estrus.
Dietary types also affect feed intake. Due to less spillage of particulate material, its feed intake is higher than that of powder. In addition, sows are more likely to feed on wet material relative to dry material. A nipple diverter above the trough can promote sow feeding. Drinking fountain settings should be convenient for sows to drink, flow rate should be guaranteed at 2 liters / minute or more. However, it must be noted that wet materials must be regularly removed to prevent fermentation or mildew.
Dietary types also affect feed intake. Due to less spillage of particulate material, its feed intake is higher than that of powder. In addition, sows are more likely to feed on wet material relative to dry material. A nipple diverter above the trough can promote sow feeding. Drinking fountain settings should be convenient for sows to drink, flow rate should be guaranteed at 2 liters / minute or more. However, it must be noted that wet materials must be regularly removed to prevent fermentation or mildew.
The delivery room environment also affects sow feed intake. In the delivery room, on the one hand, it is necessary to ensure that the piglets have a warm and small environment. On the other hand, the overall environment of the delivery room must be maintained at a sufficiently low level in order to ensure the sow feed intake. One or two days before and after sow delivery is relatively weak, requiring higher temperatures. But after this, the temperature should drop to 18.5 to 19.5 degrees Celsius. Proper ventilation should be ensured to provide sows with clean, fresh air.
Practice has also shown that, compared with 8 hours of light, the sow feed intake, breeding performance of the next fetus, and 21-day weaning weight of piglets are all increased in the delivery room for 16 hours.
The sow reproductive performance varies greatly from farm to farm. The reason for this difference is likely to be the difference in feed and feeding practices, which have a different effect on the sow’s reproductive performance. During gestation, sows should be properly controlled for food intake, and sow body status should be monitored. During lactation, feed intake should be increased as much as possible. This can significantly increase weaning weight.
By increasing the sow's feed intake during lactation, combined with appropriate health management and environmental controls, the reproductive performance, farrowing rate, and live births per litter of the litter can be increased.
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