How to Increase the Number of Piglets Born Alive per Litter in Sows? A Detailed Guide to Practical Methods
Measures to Improve Sow Litter Size and Lactation Capacity
Scientific feeding and management. Create a suitable growing environment, and breed sows at the right time to improve the conception rate; provide a nutritionally balanced feed and control the body condition of the piglets properly. If piglets are too fat, estrus will be less obvious and conception will be difficult; and if the sow's milk is too thick after farrowing, it can easily cause indigestion in the piglets. The key to increasing the number of piglets is to keep the sow at a moderate body condition (80% condition score) from mating through farrowing. The diet of gestating sows should use a lower energy level, and in order to make reasonable use of energy under low energy conditions, a high-low-high feeding method should be adopted. Specific method: use a higher nutrient level from mating to about 30 days of gestation, a low nutrient level in mid-gestation, and then a high nutrient level again in late gestation.
Increase sow milk yield. The level of a sow's milk yield is affected by many factors, including parity, the number of suckling piglets, the sow's age and the conditions of feeding and management. The approach is to provide feed according to the sow's lactation and physiological needs, and to control suckling: 1. Reduce feed before farrowing and gradually increase feed after farrowing. Reducing feed before farrowing can ease the burden on the sow's digestive tract during farrowing, which is very beneficial for smooth farrowing and normal lactation. Gradually increasing feed after farrowing promotes the smooth recovery of the sow's uterus and can prevent indigestion, puerperal fever, mastitis and other diseases. 2. Adjust the feed amount according to the lactation curve. The lactation peak is generally from 15 days to 28 days after farrowing, and it gradually declines after 30 days. Providing sow feed according to this pattern can maximize lactation performance. To increase feed intake and shorten the fasting time between day and night, change from 2 feedings to 3 starting on the fifth day after farrowing, change to 4 feedings from the eighth day, and change back to 2 feedings at 55 days. That is, adopt a low-high-low feeding pattern. Feeding the sow 4 times a day gives her a sense of fullness and prevents her from standing up at night to root around in the bedding or search for food, which can reduce the number of piglets crushed or trampled to death and help the sow rest quietly.
?Establish a conditioned reflex for milk let-down and suckling
Practice has shown that the number of milk let-downs in sows is directly proportional to milk yield; that is, the more let-downs, the higher the milk yield. Milk let-down can be formed by establishing a conditioned reflex, using some kind of signal (a whistle, a bell, or the "tsk-tsk" sound made by the keeper). When the sow is letting down milk normally, the keeper gives this signal for repeated training, and the conditioned reflex can then be formed. Once the conditioned reflex is formed, giving the same signal stimulus again can induce milk let-down in the sow. Using the conditioned reflexes for milk let-down and suckling can increase the number of milk let-downs in sows, thereby increasing the sow's milk yield.