Breast milk is crucial for piglet growth. What should you do if a sow refuses to nurse?
Under normal circumstances, a healthy sow produces plenty of milk after giving birth, and her udder becomes engorged every 30 to 60 minutes. Only after the piglets have nursed once does the sow feel comfortable. However, in breeding, a small number of sows do not let their piglets nurse. The reasons and corresponding solutions are as follows:
Sow
1. No nursing experience:Many first-time sows feel fear the first time they nurse piglets, and because they cannot endure the piglets' pestering, they refuse to let them nurse. Such sows need patient training. The keeper should stay by the sow's side, and when she lies down to sleep, gently scratch her belly to keep her calm, while also watching over the piglets. For those with a worse temper, use restraint to calm them down, then let the piglets nurse. After several times in a row, the sow gets used to it. Before a first-time sow is due to farrow, if people often approach her and show affection by scratching her belly and massaging her udder, the sow will also nurse naturally after giving birth.
2. Shrunken udder with no milk:This is mostly caused by malnutrition before farrowing. For such sows, feed more milk-stimulating feed, such as soybean juice, small fish soup, kelp soup and other liquid feeds; or use drugs to promote lactation, such as lactation tablets, embryo treasure tablets, baking soda, etc. After lactation is stimulated, the piglets will gradually get breast milk.
3. Secondary mastitis:The sow develops mastitis due to wound infection or excessive milk, and refuses to let the piglets nurse because of the pain. Treatment should be carried out promptly; local block therapy of the sow's mammary glands with procaine penicillin or systemic therapy can be used.
4. Abnormal canine teeth in piglets:A few piglets have canine teeth that are too long or too crooked, and when nursing they bite the sow painfully, causing the sow to squeal and suddenly stand up, or even bite the piglets back. Use scissors or small electrician's pliers to clip the piglets' canine teeth flat.
5. Not adapting to the new environment:When a sow is moved to a new environment to farrow, because of loud noise and tension, she cannot adapt to the new place and thus does not let the piglets nurse. Therefore, sows about to farrow should be moved to the new farrowing house 2 days in advance so they can adapt to the new environment.