Causes of Post-Farrowing Weight Loss in Sows and 4 Major Preventive Measures

For sows, they bear the important mission of reproducing and nursing piglets, and are the driving force behind a pig farm's sustained profitability. If a sow loses significant condition during gestation and lactation, it will affect her reproductive performance, thereby reducing the farm's economic returns. So why do sows lose condition after farrowing? What preventive measures are there?

Causes of post-farrowing weight loss in sows

1. Feed intake is negatively correlated with weight loss in sows;

2. Milk yield is positively correlated with weight loss in sows;

3. Weaning litter weight of piglets is positively correlated with weight loss;

4. Feed intake during gestation is negatively correlated with feed intake during lactation.

4 major measures to prevent post-farrowing weight loss in sows

1. In the early stage of gestation, sows can simply be fed normally; in the mid-to-late stage, do not increase the feeding amount just because the sow's appetite increases. If the sow becomes fat at this time, the fat accumulated in the body will not only affect the normal growth and development of the piglets in the womb, but will also cause the sow's feed intake to drop sharply after farrowing, leading to severe weight loss that affects lactation. Therefore, during the mid-gestation period, feed at a standard of 2.0-2.5 kg/day, and in the late stage appropriately increase it to 3.0-3.5 kg/day.

Starting 40 days after farrowing, add 0.2% Youshenghuo peptide or 0.5% Shengmingyuan peptide to the feed, and appropriately add green fodder. This can both strengthen the sow's gastrointestinal function and prevent constipation or refusal to eat, which leads to insufficient reserves and affects post-farrowing feed intake.

2. Regarding reducing feed before farrowing, since the sow's farrowing time cannot be determined, it is only necessary to reduce the feed for the meal immediately before farrowing. Reducing feed too early will cause the sow to expend energy too soon, leaving her with no strength to farrow at the time of delivery; prolonged farrowing will increase piglet mortality and the number of weak piglets.

3. On the day of farrowing, the sow should be encouraged to eat. A wet mash of brown sugar + warm boiled water + 0.2% Yinaichang peptide can be used. This not only helps the sow expel lochia after farrowing, but also effectively prevents yellow and white scour in piglets caused by post-farrowing inflammation, increases feed intake and milk yield, avoids energy deficiency in the sow during early lactation, and prevents severe weight loss from affecting milk yield and the natural estrus rate within seven days after weaning.

4. In hot summer weather, fish meal and oil can be added to the feeding to increase the nutritional concentration of the feed.

In addition, it is worth noting that the stage of most severe weight loss in sows is not during peak lactation, but during early lactation, and the reason is insufficient feed intake during early lactation. Therefore, to fully solve this problem, one should start with the feeding of gestating sows, purify toxins in the sow's body, regulate the sow's various physiological functions, increase feed intake, and reduce weight loss.