Management of Sows - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Management of Sows

1. Management of gilts

2. Management of gestating sows

3. Management of lactating sows

4. Management from Weaning to breeding

1. Gilt Management

• Depends on sow culling rate
• Usually around 20% first litter sows (18-25)
• With 2.5 litters/sow/year: 50% gilts/year
• On 600 sow farm: 300 gilts needed per year
• If 75% of gilts are used: 400 gilts should be purchased or produced

• Gilts in Isolation every 10 weeks
• Age should be between 3 and 5 month
• After 8 weeks: Move gilts to sow unit
• Clean isolation between groups

• 1. Prevent disease introduction in herd
• 2. Prepare gilts to enter farm
• Vaccinations
• Adaptation
• 3. Control of health status
• Bleeding

• Feed ad lib until 70-80 kg
• Use normal nursery/grower diet
• Feed 75% of ad lib during rest of period
• Use lactation diet or similar

• Move gilts to breeding barn
• Boar exposure
• Feed ad libitum - add sex mixture
• Move around
• Spray with cold water 10 min/day
• Breed in 2nd or 3rd estrus

2. Management of Gestating Sows

• 2.1. Feed and feed adjustments
• 2.2. Reproductive checks
• 2.3. Disease management
• 2.4. Daily chores

• 1: Day 1-21: Implantation
• 2: Day 22-90: Body condition
• 3: Day 91-112: Fetal growth
• 4: Day 113-115: Prepare farrowing

Day

Gilts

Normal sows

Thin sows

Fat sows

1-21

1.8

3.0

4.5

1.8

22-90

2.2

2.0

4.5

1.8

91-112

2.8

3.0

3.0

1.8

113-114

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

Remember: Adjustments for temp. if lower than 20oC

• On a weekly basis, all sows are checked for body condition and moved to different curve if necessary
• Use diets that meet the nutritional requirement of gestating sows and gilts
• Table 14 in SD – NE Swine Nutrition Guide
• If same diet used for gilts and sows, remember that gilts have higher aa requirements than sows.

Fat sows and gilts:

• Diabetes
• Difficulties farrowing their pigs
• Reduced feed intake in lactation
• Reduced milk yield in lactation
• Shorter longevity

• Sows should have free access to water 24 h per day
• Check water quality
• Water from pump better than water from nipples
• Give water several times per day

2.2. Reproductive Checks

• Place sows after day of breeding
• Keep breeding groups together
• Move sows out if they return to heat
• Use color scheme for each group

• Check for heat every day
• Concentrate on sows 3, 6,and 9 wks post breeding (same color)
• Pregnancy check 4-5 wks post breeding
• Ultra sound
• Scanning

• Important to spend all the time that is necessary for efficient heat check of gestating sows every day
• The closer the average breeding to rebreeding interval is to 21 days, the better a job did you do heat checking gest. sows

2.3. Disease Management

• Make sure vaccination program is followed
• Many vaccinations 3 wks pre-partum
• If diseases in farrowing unit, discuss medication of gestating sows with vet.
• Look for urinary tract diseases in gest. unit
• Keep high sanitation level in barn

2.4 Daily chores in gestation barn

• Feeding
• Check that all sows eat their ration
• Check heat
• Check for urinary tract diseases
• Measure urinary pH
• Check for other diseases and abnormalities
• bad legs or feet

3. Management of Lactating Sows

• 3.1. Feeding
• 3.2. Management around parturition
• 3.3. Piglet management
• 3.4 Daily chores

• 1. High milk yield
• More milk decreases preweaning mortality and increases weaning weight
• 2. Prevent BW loss
• Low weight loss improves the chances of the sow returning to heat right after weaning

• Day 1-2: 2 kg per day
• Day 3-4: 4 kg per day
• Day 5- weaning: Ad Libitum (semi ad.lib)

• Check sows 30 min. after feeding:
• if feeder completely clean, give more feed next time
• if feed left in feeder, give less feed next time
• if crumples left in feeder, give same amount next time

• Make sure water is available all the time
• Include fat in diet (Increases energy)
• Barn temperature around 20oC
• drip cooling if hot
• Feed at least 2 times a day - 3 is better
• Don’t let feed sit in feeder

• Same as for gestating sows.
• Keep fiber levels relatively low
• OK to use synthetic AA
• Fish meal may be included
• Include oil or fat
• Don’t change ingredients from gestation to lactation

• Table 14 in Swine Nutrition Guide
• Nutrient requirement depend on milk yield and daily feed intake
• If FI low, more concentrated diets are needed.
• Vitamin fortification may need to be improved in high producing sows

Week 3: 74,1 g/day

Conc. if eating 9 kg/day: 0,82 %

Conc. If eating 6 kg/day: 1.24 %

3.2 Management Around Parturition

• Avoid problems during parturition
• Decrease number of still born pigs
• Make sure live borns get colostrum and warm surrounding
• Make sure sow is treated if she gets sick

• Clean and disinfect barn
• Low feed intake before and after
• Plenty of water
• Watch farrowings if possible
• Assist sow in farrowing if needed

• Use prostaglandins or oxytocin
• Induce no earlier than d 113
• sows will farrow 24-30 h later
• Only induce sows that look ready to farrow
• Otherwise too many small piglets

3.3. Piglet Management

• Move pigs around 24-48 h post partum
• Give all sows 10-12 pigs
• Make nurse sows if too many piglets
• use older sows weaned at 14 d for this
• Move all small pigs into same litter
• use 2nd parity sow for these pigs

3.4 Daily chores in farrowing barn

• Feed sows
• Check sows for discharges and diseases
• Treat sows that need it
• Check temperature, vent., drip cooling etc.
• Look for cull sows

• Get all pigs up and running around
• Look for bad joints and diarrhea
• Treat sick piglets
• Remove pigs that are getting behind
• Give milk replacer to litters with small pigs
• Give creep feed after day 8

4. Management from Weaning to Breeding

• Wean sows Wednesdays or Thursdays
• Move sows to breeding barn
• Give sows direct boar contact
• Box sows individually in breeding barn
• Turn light on at least 14 h per d

• Feed ad libitum w. lactation diet
• give sex mixture
• Water freely available

• Start heat checking d. 5 post weaning
• Breed at least twice with 24 h intervals
• Use AI or natural breeding
• If natural breeding: Hand breed