Key Technical Points and Classic Experience Summary for Sow Feeding and Management

1 Risks of Raising Sows
(1) The high-price risk of purchasing replacement breeding pigs;
(2) The risk that replacement gilts fail to enter the foundation herd normally;
(3) The risk that sows do not come into estrus;
(4) The risk that sows do not conceive after mating;
(5) The risk of sows farrowing few piglets;
(6) The risk of low survival rate of piglets born to sows;
(7) The risk that piglets born to sows reach market weight when the pig market is in a downturn;
(8) The risk of sow death and culling.

2 Reasons for Raising Sows
(1) Self-breeding and self-raising means a low risk of introducing disease; (2) with self-breeding and self-raising, the cost of piglets is only the feeding cost, so fattening increases profit.

3 Operational Strategies for Raising Sows
Adhere to self-breeding and self-raising, and apply flexibly: sell piglets when the piglet price peak is reached, and fatten when the piglet price trough is reached; sell piglets in the first half of the year, and fatten and sell finished pigs in the second half of the year.

4 Keys to Raising Sows
Improve the technical level, reduce breeding costs, and persist in long-term investment.