What to Do When a Sow Has Insufficient Milk After Farrowing? Causes and Solutions

Sow nursing piglets

    Sows, especially first-time mothers, are prone to insufficient lactation during the nursing period. If a sow's udder is not full after farrowing, the piglets' hair coat is rough, and the piglets still nuzzle for milk after each nursing, while the sow lies flat or sits back on her haunches and refuses to nurse, these are signs of insufficient milk. The main causes of insufficient or absent milk are:

    Cause Analysis

    1. Improper feeding during pregnancy, causing the sow to be overweight or emaciated, which leads to poor mammary gland development and results in little or no milk.

    2. The sow is too young and her mammary glands have not yet developed fully, so she has no milk.

    3. The sow is too old and her physiological functions have declined, so milk production is reduced.

    4. The sow has digestive tract diseases, poor appetite, and poor digestion and absorption, making it easy for her to have no milk or little milk.

    5. External stimuli such as high temperatures, noise, forced driving, and fright cause a stress response in the sow, leading to endocrine disorders and resulting in low or no milk production.

    6. The sow has mastitis, so she produces little or no milk.

    7. The sow has weak resistance, and infection with Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, etc. can also cause her to have no milk.

    Treatment Plan

    (1) [Nutritional Management]

    1. First, find a foster sow or supplement with milk powder or cow's milk to prevent the sow from becoming emaciated and dying.

    2. Carry out good feeding management, reduce stress stimuli, and improve the sow's resistance.

    3. Maintain good hygiene in the pigpen to reduce bacterial infections.

    4. Massage the sow's udder 2-3 times a day.

    5. Feed some high-protein feed such as soybean products to increase milk production, and add green fodder to promote digestion.

    (2) [Medication]

    1. Insufficient or absent milk in sows is mostly caused by poor mammary gland development and endocrine disorders. Lactation is mainly regulated by oxytocin secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, so medication can be used to regulate oxytocin secretion.

    2. If the udder is red and swollen, it is most likely mastitis, and anti-inflammatory drugs are needed.

    3. According to the sow's digestive condition, reasonably use some digestive drugs to regulate the gastrointestinal tract and promote digestion.

    4. If a bacterial infection occurs, antibacterial drugs are needed.

Sow

    Conclusion

    Insufficient or absent milk in sows may be caused by a variety of reasons, so if a sow has insufficient or no milk, the first step is to identify the specific cause of the low or absent milk so that medication can be targeted and good results achieved. In addition, there are many types of veterinary drugs on the market with uneven quality, so do not use medication blindly. It is best to consult an expert and use medication under expert guidance to avoid unnecessary losses.

    Expert advice: routinely prepare some professional health-care drugs for the pigs, which can prevent problems before they occur, effectively prevent problems that sows are prone to during the farrowing and nursing period, and reduce losses on the pig farm.