What to do about low fertility in sows in winter? Technical measures to improve fertility
Technical measures to improve sow fertility in winter
Doing a good job in winter sow reproduction management and raising the survival rate of piglets is the key to achieving high yield and high efficiency in sows. For many years, many farms and households, during the winter sow breeding and feeding process, have had the farrowing rate and survival rate seriously affected due to relatively low levels of technology and facilities.
Strengthen management in late gestation to increase piglet birth weight
Research shows that the embryo does not begin rapid development until after 80 d of gestation and reaches full maturity at 110 d. The size of birth weight is directly related to the survival rate and growth of piglets after birth, that is, as people say: a difference of one or two in birth weight means a difference of 500 g in weaning weight and 5 kg in slaughter weight. Therefore, in order to promote rapid fetal development, increase birth weight, and ensure the sow's nutritional reserves during lactation, after 80 d of gestation the sow needs feed of increased quality and quantity. In raw material selection, feed rich in calcium, protein and fat should be given priority. Cooked soybeans are the best choice for sow diet ingredients, as they are both a source of high-quality protein and a way to supply fat. Adding fat to the sow's diet can increase the level of ketogenic substances in her plasma and increase sow metabolites through a glucose-sparing effect for fetal development and utilization, while also increasing fetal energy reserves, thereby improving piglet survival rate. Pettigrew (1981) pointed out that feeding sows a fat-supplemented diet in late gestation and lactation can increase milk yield and the milk fat level in colostrum and regular milk, thereby improving piglet survival rate and weaning weight. Therefore, in late gestation, the daily feed supply should be increased to 3 kg-3.5 kg depending on individual body weight and body condition, and the diet should contain 30%-35% energy feed, 6%-8% soybeans, about 10% cake and meal types, with the rest supplemented by bran and middlings. Dietary nutrient levels are required to be DE>=3.1 MJ/kg, CP>=16%, Lyt>=0.8%. Vitamins and trace elements should be added, and the calcium-phosphorus ratio should be balanced. In particular, sodium selenite has a preventive effect on improving piglet immunity and reducing the occurrence of diarrhea. At 15 d-20 d before farrowing, 10 ml of sodium selenite VE emulsion can be injected intramuscularly once.
Control the temperature inside the barn and create a comfortable micro-environment for sows and piglets
The environmental temperatures required by piglets and lactating sows are different. The optimum temperature for newborn piglets is above 32 degrees C, while the optimum temperature for sows is between 15 degrees C and 18 degrees C. If the barn temperature is simply raised above 30 degrees C, although this better meets the requirements of piglets, on the one hand it increases the cost of heating and insulation, and on the other hand it has a negative impact on the sow's lactation and feed intake, while also increasing the content of harmful gases in the barn. Therefore, how to create a climate of 15 degrees C-18 degrees C for sows and an environment above 30 degrees C for piglets, with good ventilation and sufficient light, is an important measure for good sow management. In this regard, various places have explored a lot of experience. Some put stoves in the pig barn, some install flues or hang light bulbs in the barn, and all of these have played a certain role, but the simplest and most economical measure suitable for rural use is the method of plastic greenhouse plus piglet brooder box. Specific requirements: the pig barn should face south as much as possible, have good lighting, and be sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. In order to increase the lighting area, the greenhouse should have a certain curvature, and a drip-free film greenhouse plastic should be selected, with a brooder box placed in a relatively dry and convenient corner inside the barn. The area inside the box is about 80 cm x 80 cm, and the box is heated with a 250 W-500 W far-infrared bulb or infrared heater. The temperature is adjusted by the height of the heater from the ground, and note that the heater wiring must be fixed against the wall to prevent the sow from rooting or biting it and getting an electric shock. When there are few sows in the barn and less body heat is dissipated, a stove fire can be used appropriately to add heat; when the number of animals kept in the barn is sufficient, body heat dissipation can be relied on for heating. Practice has proved that in North China, in a farrowing barn housing about 15 sows, with only complete plastic greenhouse insulation and no supplementary heat source, relying solely on the sows' own heat, the temperature inside the barn can be maintained within the range of 10 degrees C-16 degrees C, and the temperature inside the brooder box can be regulated above 30 degrees C. Methods for judging whether the piglet temperature is suitable: when the temperature is suitable, after suckling the piglets automatically return to the brooder box, lie scattered, and do not huddle. When the temperature is too high, piglets stick their heads out of the brooder box or crowd at the exit. When the temperature is too low, piglets pile on top of each other under the heat source and compete for the position directly under the heat source.
Appropriately use hormone preparations to induce sows to farrow during the day
In production practice, more than 70% of sows farrow at night. Farrowing at night creates many difficulties in management, and many farmers, due to poor management, experience cases in which more than half of the piglets are injured or disabled. If sows can farrow during the day, it is not only easier to monitor and manage, but also easier to raise the temperature inside the barn, which has a clear effect on improving piglet survival rate. Cloprostenol is an analogue of prostaglandin F2a, has a strong luteolytic effect, and at the same time excites the uterus of the female animal and relaxes the cervical muscles, with a success rate of more than 95% in inducing sow farrowing. Experiments have shown that intramuscular injection of 0.05 mg-0.1 mg of this preparation at about 8:00 in the morning can lead to delivery at about 12:00 noon the next day, with no obvious toxic side effects.
Control common diseases early to ensure healthy development of sows and piglets
Retained lochia after farrowing is one of the main causes of postpartum anorexia or postpartum agalactia syndrome in sows. Preventing and controlling early inflammation of the birth canal is the primary task in the management of farrowing sows. The specific method is: at the end of farrowing or when the placenta begins to be expelled, inject long-acting penicillin 1.2 million IU, 2 vials/100 kg body weight, analgin 10 ml-15 ml, dexamethasone sodium phosphate 10 mg, and oxytocin 20 IU-40 IU intramuscularly. If within 3 days after farrowing the sow is anorexic or has poor appetite and no lochia is discharged, choose: (1) quick-acting appetite stimulant 5 ml-10 ml and compound bile A injection 10 ml, injected intramuscularly separately, twice a day for 3 consecutive d; (3) compound VB injection 5 ml and bisekeling injection 5 ml, mixed and injected intramuscularly once, twice a day for 3 consecutive d. If lochia is still present within 3 d after farrowing, choose: (1) wash the uterus with 10% concentrated saline, then inject gentamicin 160,000 IU, or ciprofloxacin injection 10 ml; (2) rinse the uterus with 1% potassium permanganate aqueous solution, and after discharging the rinse solution, inject antibiotic drugs.
Feeding colostrum early, supplementing iron in time, and controlling yellow and white dysentery early. Colostrum has a very high protein content, of which 60%-70% is immunoglobulin. Since piglets are born without innate immunity, they can only acquire immunity after eating colostrum. When piglets are born, the intestinal epithelium is in a primitive state and has the function of absorbing macromolecular immunoglobulin, which begins to decline after 6 h and almost loses this function after 12 h. Therefore, eating colostrum early and eating enough colostrum is an effective measure to improve piglet disease resistance. In practice, the mucus on the piglet's body and in the mouth is often wiped clean, and after disinfection of the umbilical cord, suckling is assisted, so that every newborn piglet eats enough colostrum. For individual piglets that are weak and have little strength, first clean the mucus from their mouths, wipe dry the fetal fluid on their bodies, and administer 10 ml-15 ml of 50% warm glucose solution by drops. Then place them under a 35 degrees C heat source to warm them, and after their mental state is good, let them eat colostrum. In the following days, human assistance should be provided to ensure they eat enough milk. Fixing teats is an effective method to achieve balanced development of piglets and is also an effective measure to prevent piglets from fighting over milk. Teat fixing should follow the piglets' preferences and be appropriately adjusted, with only individual weak piglets assigned a fixed position, and other piglets preferably not competing for the same teat. Weak piglets are generally chosen to be fixed on the first two or three pairs of teats.
Supplement iron in time and prevent yellow and white dysentery early. At 3 days of age, iron should be supplemented in time using selenium-containing iron dextran. Method: inject 1 ml subcutaneously into the inner side of the hind leg to prevent piglet iron-deficiency anemia and diarrhea. If there is a threat of yellow and white dysentery on the farm, at this time you can also inject zhijunhuang (long-acting sulfonamide preparation, main ingredients SMM, TMP) 0.4 ml/head intramuscularly, and inject again 0.5 ml/head after 3 d, which generally allows them to pass the dangerous period safely.
Timely supplementary feeding. Early supplementary feeding is an effective measure to increase piglet weaning weight. The scientific time to start supplementary feeding is from 7 days of age, but patience is required. Open each piglet's mouth one by one and smear the feed paste at the base of the tongue to let it taste and attract it to eat, several times a day. When it shows a desire to eat on its own, the supplementary feed can be placed in a feed trough for it to lick freely. The sow begins to reduce feed 2 days before farrowing, and on the day of farrowing is fed only 1/3 of the usual feed amount. On the day after farrowing, feed lightly salted bran soup.
Scientifically arrange sow feeding to increase milk yield
The level of sow milk yield is the result of the combined effect of feed quality and feeding method. Surveys of rural farms and households show that feeding sows a gruel-like diet after farrowing gives better results than dry-wet feeding, and feeding 4 times a day gives better results than feeding 2 times a day. The general principles are as follows: begin increasing feed on the second day after farrowing, and by 5 days of age give the regular amount. Before that, avoid overeating at one time and damaging the stomach; wait until its function gradually recovers before increasing feed. The daily intake of air-dried feed should be greater than 4.5 kg, with the principle of not wasting feed, fed 3-4 times a day, and the sow's feed intake should be increased as much as possible. During the peak lactation period, feed intake should preferably reach more than 6 kg, and 2 d-3 d before weaning gradually reduce the daily feeding amount to about 3 kg. During lactation, the diet's crude protein content should be >=17%, lysine >=0.85%, and digestible energy >=3.2 MJ/kg. If about 4% fat or 10% cooked soybeans can be added, the effect is better and the milk fat percentage can be increased.
Wean at the right time to increase the number of litters per sow per year
The timing of sow weaning directly affects the level of reproductive performance. However, weaning too early easily causes increased piglet mortality and slow growth and development. Weaning too late reduces sow fertility. Therefore, a suitable weaning time is a fulcrum for regulating the economic benefits of pig farming. In rural breeding practice, the determination of weaning age is best based on birth time and individual piglet weight, requiring over 30 days of age and individual weight less than 8 kg. If all the above work is done relatively solidly, weaning can generally be carried out at 35 days of age. When weaning, be sure to move the sow away and keep the piglets, allowing the piglets to transition in the original pen for 1 week before moving to another pen.
--------------------------------------
xiexie. Bump this up
--------------------------------------
Very good information, but be sure to pay attention to the effective temperature.
Strengthen management in late gestation to increase piglet birth weight
Research shows that the embryo does not begin rapid development until after 80 d of gestation and reaches full maturity at 110 d. The size of birth weight is directly related to the survival rate and growth of piglets after birth, that is, as people say: a difference of one or two in birth weight means a difference of 500 g in weaning weight and 5 kg in slaughter weight. Therefore, in order to promote rapid fetal development, increase birth weight, and ensure the sow's nutritional reserves during lactation, after 80 d of gestation the sow needs feed of increased quality and quantity. In raw material selection, feed rich in calcium, protein and fat should be given priority. Cooked soybeans are the best choice for sow diet ingredients, as they are both a source of high-quality protein and a way to supply fat. Adding fat to the sow's diet can increase the level of ketogenic substances in her plasma and increase sow metabolites through a glucose-sparing effect for fetal development and utilization, while also increasing fetal energy reserves, thereby improving piglet survival rate. Pettigrew (1981) pointed out that feeding sows a fat-supplemented diet in late gestation and lactation can increase milk yield and the milk fat level in colostrum and regular milk, thereby improving piglet survival rate and weaning weight. Therefore, in late gestation, the daily feed supply should be increased to 3 kg-3.5 kg depending on individual body weight and body condition, and the diet should contain 30%-35% energy feed, 6%-8% soybeans, about 10% cake and meal types, with the rest supplemented by bran and middlings. Dietary nutrient levels are required to be DE>=3.1 MJ/kg, CP>=16%, Lyt>=0.8%. Vitamins and trace elements should be added, and the calcium-phosphorus ratio should be balanced. In particular, sodium selenite has a preventive effect on improving piglet immunity and reducing the occurrence of diarrhea. At 15 d-20 d before farrowing, 10 ml of sodium selenite VE emulsion can be injected intramuscularly once.
Control the temperature inside the barn and create a comfortable micro-environment for sows and piglets
The environmental temperatures required by piglets and lactating sows are different. The optimum temperature for newborn piglets is above 32 degrees C, while the optimum temperature for sows is between 15 degrees C and 18 degrees C. If the barn temperature is simply raised above 30 degrees C, although this better meets the requirements of piglets, on the one hand it increases the cost of heating and insulation, and on the other hand it has a negative impact on the sow's lactation and feed intake, while also increasing the content of harmful gases in the barn. Therefore, how to create a climate of 15 degrees C-18 degrees C for sows and an environment above 30 degrees C for piglets, with good ventilation and sufficient light, is an important measure for good sow management. In this regard, various places have explored a lot of experience. Some put stoves in the pig barn, some install flues or hang light bulbs in the barn, and all of these have played a certain role, but the simplest and most economical measure suitable for rural use is the method of plastic greenhouse plus piglet brooder box. Specific requirements: the pig barn should face south as much as possible, have good lighting, and be sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. In order to increase the lighting area, the greenhouse should have a certain curvature, and a drip-free film greenhouse plastic should be selected, with a brooder box placed in a relatively dry and convenient corner inside the barn. The area inside the box is about 80 cm x 80 cm, and the box is heated with a 250 W-500 W far-infrared bulb or infrared heater. The temperature is adjusted by the height of the heater from the ground, and note that the heater wiring must be fixed against the wall to prevent the sow from rooting or biting it and getting an electric shock. When there are few sows in the barn and less body heat is dissipated, a stove fire can be used appropriately to add heat; when the number of animals kept in the barn is sufficient, body heat dissipation can be relied on for heating. Practice has proved that in North China, in a farrowing barn housing about 15 sows, with only complete plastic greenhouse insulation and no supplementary heat source, relying solely on the sows' own heat, the temperature inside the barn can be maintained within the range of 10 degrees C-16 degrees C, and the temperature inside the brooder box can be regulated above 30 degrees C. Methods for judging whether the piglet temperature is suitable: when the temperature is suitable, after suckling the piglets automatically return to the brooder box, lie scattered, and do not huddle. When the temperature is too high, piglets stick their heads out of the brooder box or crowd at the exit. When the temperature is too low, piglets pile on top of each other under the heat source and compete for the position directly under the heat source.
Appropriately use hormone preparations to induce sows to farrow during the day
In production practice, more than 70% of sows farrow at night. Farrowing at night creates many difficulties in management, and many farmers, due to poor management, experience cases in which more than half of the piglets are injured or disabled. If sows can farrow during the day, it is not only easier to monitor and manage, but also easier to raise the temperature inside the barn, which has a clear effect on improving piglet survival rate. Cloprostenol is an analogue of prostaglandin F2a, has a strong luteolytic effect, and at the same time excites the uterus of the female animal and relaxes the cervical muscles, with a success rate of more than 95% in inducing sow farrowing. Experiments have shown that intramuscular injection of 0.05 mg-0.1 mg of this preparation at about 8:00 in the morning can lead to delivery at about 12:00 noon the next day, with no obvious toxic side effects.
Control common diseases early to ensure healthy development of sows and piglets
Retained lochia after farrowing is one of the main causes of postpartum anorexia or postpartum agalactia syndrome in sows. Preventing and controlling early inflammation of the birth canal is the primary task in the management of farrowing sows. The specific method is: at the end of farrowing or when the placenta begins to be expelled, inject long-acting penicillin 1.2 million IU, 2 vials/100 kg body weight, analgin 10 ml-15 ml, dexamethasone sodium phosphate 10 mg, and oxytocin 20 IU-40 IU intramuscularly. If within 3 days after farrowing the sow is anorexic or has poor appetite and no lochia is discharged, choose: (1) quick-acting appetite stimulant 5 ml-10 ml and compound bile A injection 10 ml, injected intramuscularly separately, twice a day for 3 consecutive d; (3) compound VB injection 5 ml and bisekeling injection 5 ml, mixed and injected intramuscularly once, twice a day for 3 consecutive d. If lochia is still present within 3 d after farrowing, choose: (1) wash the uterus with 10% concentrated saline, then inject gentamicin 160,000 IU, or ciprofloxacin injection 10 ml; (2) rinse the uterus with 1% potassium permanganate aqueous solution, and after discharging the rinse solution, inject antibiotic drugs.
Feeding colostrum early, supplementing iron in time, and controlling yellow and white dysentery early. Colostrum has a very high protein content, of which 60%-70% is immunoglobulin. Since piglets are born without innate immunity, they can only acquire immunity after eating colostrum. When piglets are born, the intestinal epithelium is in a primitive state and has the function of absorbing macromolecular immunoglobulin, which begins to decline after 6 h and almost loses this function after 12 h. Therefore, eating colostrum early and eating enough colostrum is an effective measure to improve piglet disease resistance. In practice, the mucus on the piglet's body and in the mouth is often wiped clean, and after disinfection of the umbilical cord, suckling is assisted, so that every newborn piglet eats enough colostrum. For individual piglets that are weak and have little strength, first clean the mucus from their mouths, wipe dry the fetal fluid on their bodies, and administer 10 ml-15 ml of 50% warm glucose solution by drops. Then place them under a 35 degrees C heat source to warm them, and after their mental state is good, let them eat colostrum. In the following days, human assistance should be provided to ensure they eat enough milk. Fixing teats is an effective method to achieve balanced development of piglets and is also an effective measure to prevent piglets from fighting over milk. Teat fixing should follow the piglets' preferences and be appropriately adjusted, with only individual weak piglets assigned a fixed position, and other piglets preferably not competing for the same teat. Weak piglets are generally chosen to be fixed on the first two or three pairs of teats.
Supplement iron in time and prevent yellow and white dysentery early. At 3 days of age, iron should be supplemented in time using selenium-containing iron dextran. Method: inject 1 ml subcutaneously into the inner side of the hind leg to prevent piglet iron-deficiency anemia and diarrhea. If there is a threat of yellow and white dysentery on the farm, at this time you can also inject zhijunhuang (long-acting sulfonamide preparation, main ingredients SMM, TMP) 0.4 ml/head intramuscularly, and inject again 0.5 ml/head after 3 d, which generally allows them to pass the dangerous period safely.
Timely supplementary feeding. Early supplementary feeding is an effective measure to increase piglet weaning weight. The scientific time to start supplementary feeding is from 7 days of age, but patience is required. Open each piglet's mouth one by one and smear the feed paste at the base of the tongue to let it taste and attract it to eat, several times a day. When it shows a desire to eat on its own, the supplementary feed can be placed in a feed trough for it to lick freely. The sow begins to reduce feed 2 days before farrowing, and on the day of farrowing is fed only 1/3 of the usual feed amount. On the day after farrowing, feed lightly salted bran soup.
Scientifically arrange sow feeding to increase milk yield
The level of sow milk yield is the result of the combined effect of feed quality and feeding method. Surveys of rural farms and households show that feeding sows a gruel-like diet after farrowing gives better results than dry-wet feeding, and feeding 4 times a day gives better results than feeding 2 times a day. The general principles are as follows: begin increasing feed on the second day after farrowing, and by 5 days of age give the regular amount. Before that, avoid overeating at one time and damaging the stomach; wait until its function gradually recovers before increasing feed. The daily intake of air-dried feed should be greater than 4.5 kg, with the principle of not wasting feed, fed 3-4 times a day, and the sow's feed intake should be increased as much as possible. During the peak lactation period, feed intake should preferably reach more than 6 kg, and 2 d-3 d before weaning gradually reduce the daily feeding amount to about 3 kg. During lactation, the diet's crude protein content should be >=17%, lysine >=0.85%, and digestible energy >=3.2 MJ/kg. If about 4% fat or 10% cooked soybeans can be added, the effect is better and the milk fat percentage can be increased.
Wean at the right time to increase the number of litters per sow per year
The timing of sow weaning directly affects the level of reproductive performance. However, weaning too early easily causes increased piglet mortality and slow growth and development. Weaning too late reduces sow fertility. Therefore, a suitable weaning time is a fulcrum for regulating the economic benefits of pig farming. In rural breeding practice, the determination of weaning age is best based on birth time and individual piglet weight, requiring over 30 days of age and individual weight less than 8 kg. If all the above work is done relatively solidly, weaning can generally be carried out at 35 days of age. When weaning, be sure to move the sow away and keep the piglets, allowing the piglets to transition in the original pen for 1 week before moving to another pen.
--------------------------------------
xiexie. Bump this up
--------------------------------------
Very good information, but be sure to pay attention to the effective temperature.