How can sow reproductive efficiency be improved? Practical pig farming methods shared

The level of sow reproductive rate is related to the economic benefits of large-scale pig farms. It is an important marker of transforming the sow's potential biological productivity into actual productivity, and an important indicator for measuring the comprehensive production level of a large-scale pig farm.

Maintain a reasonable sow herd structure

Establishing and maintaining a reasonably structured sow herd is a basic task for a large-scale pig farm and a fundamental measure for achieving high quality, high yield and high efficiency. A reasonable sow herd structure is 30%~35% of all production sows being sows of 1 to 2 parities, 60% being sows of 3 to 7 parities, and 5%~10% being sows of more than 7 parities. To achieve balanced production on the pig farm, excellent reserve gilts should be selected and retained in a planned way, gradually renewing the herd so that the quality of the herd is continuously improved. The reserve gilts selected and retained should conform to the breed or cross combination specified in the selection plan. Individual selection must be strict, requiring strong limbs, good maternal reproductive performance, a litter size of more than 10 piglets, normal vulva development, no genetic defects, no fewer than 7 pairs of effective teats, neatly arranged, with no inverted teats, blind teats, small teats, etc. Reserve gilts must also be intensively reared so that they develop well and have good reproductive body condition.

Take measures to increase litter size

The temperature of the pig house has a great relationship with sow breeding. Generally, the suitable temperature for reserve gilts is 17°C~20°C, and the suitable temperature for pregnant sows is 11°C~15°C. This is because high temperatures can cause the sow's body temperature to rise, and a high uterine temperature is not conducive to the development of fertilized eggs and embryo implantation, leading to high embryo mortality and a small litter size. Cooling measures can be taken so that the temperature in the house does not exceed 21°C.

Timely mating is crucial for obtaining a higher litter size. Mating too early or too late will lose some eggs, thereby reducing litter size. Wait until the sow's signs of estrus are obvious, she allows the boar to mount or does not move during manual testing, or does not walk away when seeing the boar, and then mate again 12 hours later. Generally, a better mating effect and a higher litter size will be obtained. Large-scale pig farming generally uses two repeated matings, such as mating once before feeding in the morning and mating again before feeding in the afternoon; if mating in the afternoon, mate again on the morning of the next day.

Master the age for first mating and mate at the right time. When a sow is in estrus for the first time or a boar mounts for the first mating, conception basically does not occur. The age for first mating of reserve gilts should be no less than 8.5 months, and body weight should be above 110 kg. Mating at the 2nd or 3rd estrus period is ideal. Mating too early will affect litter size and mating for the 2nd parity, while mating too late will affect the conception rate and the years of use. To obtain a higher litter size, the suitable mating age must be mastered, preventing both too early and too late mating.

Implement early weaning to shorten the lactation period. Generally, weaning at 21 days~28 days after farrowing is more suitable for multiparous sows. Weaning at this time has little effect on the sow's body condition and the next litter size, and also causes little adverse stimulation to the piglets. The weaning time for young sows should be postponed to around 35 days of age, which helps maintain or increase the litter size of the 2nd parity.

Do a good job of protecting the fetus to prevent miscarriage. After sows close to farrowing are moved between groups or sows in early pregnancy are merged into pens, observe them carefully and manage them meticulously. If signs of miscarriage are found, or for sows with a history of miscarriage, inject progesterone.

Inject Ovulation-promoting No. 2. A sow ovulates about 20 eggs during one estrus period, and ovulation lasts 10 hours~15 hours. Treating sows with LRH-A2 can promote egg maturation and concentrated ovulation, thereby increasing the conception rate and increasing litter size.

Increase the nutritional components of sows

Although vitamins and other trace elements are needed in very small amounts, they are nutrients necessary for maintaining sow health and normal development, and they play an important role in the sow's reproductive process. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause sow estrous cycle disorder, miscarriage or stillbirth, weak fetuses, deformed fetuses or blind fetuses, and reduce the number of live piglets; vitamin D deficiency can reduce the conception rate, litter size and pre-weaning survival rate; vitamin E deficiency can reduce ovarian function and decrease follicular luteal cells, thereby reducing litter size, and pre-weaning piglet mortality is high; iron deficiency can reduce piglet survival rate, copper deficiency can cause more stillbirths in sows, and manganese deficiency can inhibit the development of reproductive organs and cause abnormal bone development in sows, etc.

Reasonably cull sows with low production performance

Adjust the breed structure and age structure of production sows in a planned way, supplement high-quality reserve pigs in a timely manner, and maintain a reasonable and healthy sow herd structure. The culling principles are generally: sows with habitual miscarriage or endometritis that has not healed after long treatment, sows that do not conceive after 3 consecutive matings or refuse mating in two estrous periods, sows with declining production performance at more than 7 parities, sows that do not come into estrus two months after weaning, sows with poor lactation performance such as no milk after farrowing or biting piglets and not allowing them to suckle, sows with a litter size below 5 piglets for two consecutive parities, and sows with postpartum paralysis or limb and hoof diseases affecting mating.

Control the introduction of diseases into the herd

Large-scale pig farms should adopt self-breeding and self-raising, and strictly prevent the introduction of reproductive diseases. Breeding pigs introduced from pig farms in other places must be strictly isolated and observed for more than 1 month to ensure the health level of the purchased breeding pigs. Before mating, reserve gilts should be vaccinated against parvovirus disease, pseudorabies, Japanese encephalitis, etc., to prevent the occurrence of reproductive disorder diseases. Sows suffering from vaginitis and endometritis should be treated in a timely manner. They can be repeatedly flushed with normal saline or 1‰ potassium permanganate solution, and penicillin and streptomycin injected. Mating should be carried out after the uterus is cleansed.