Feeding and management methods for sows to produce more and stronger piglets
How to promote sows to produce more and stronger piglets
How to make sows produce more and stronger piglets, reduce the cost of weaned piglets, and promote the healthy growth of both sow and piglets requires every possible effort to improve sow feeding and management.
I. Adjust the proportion of parity structure
Sows of parities 3-6 are in the best period of reproductive performance. To ensure the reproductive capacity of the sow herd, sows in this parity range should be kept at around 60%, first-parity and second-parity sows at 30%-35%, and sows of parity 7 or above at 5%-10%.
II. Selection and feeding of replacement gilts
Replacement gilts are selected 1 month before mating. The method is to combine family line reproductive performance and select gilts that are well developed, have many teats with no abnormalities, large and normal teats and vulva, and at the same time require wide hind legs, preferably with a large interval between the two rows of teats and three pairs of teats in front of the navel. After selection, feeding should be appropriately restricted so that the gilt is neither too fat nor too thin (reaching grade 2.5-3 on the American 5-grade scoring standard, with vertebrae not visible but palpable, and ribs not palpable). Start increasing feed 2 weeks before mating. Reach 2.0-2.5 kg. The feed nutritional level should reach about 16% crude protein, with sufficient minerals and vitamins.
III. Feeding and management of weaned sows
To prevent mastitis, sows should gradually reduce feed to about 2 kg 3 days before weaning. However, after weaning, in order to promote estrus and increase the number of ovulations, high-quality feed should be used (crude protein >=16%, metabolizable energy >=3.1 Mcal/kg, lysine >=0.8%), and the feed amount can be given at 2.3-2.6 kg per day according to body condition.
IV. Feeding and management in early pregnancy
Sows are generally mated twice. From the 2nd day after the second mating to 3 weeks after mating, low-energy and low-protein feed should be supplied (generally crude protein >=14%, metabolizable energy 3.0-3.1 Mcal/kg). The daily feeding amount is 1.5-2.0 kg, otherwise excessive feed intake will affect progesterone secretion, increase embryonic death, and reduce litter size.
From the 4th week to the 80th day of pregnancy, feeding with low-energy and low-protein feed should continue, but the daily feed amount should be increased by 0.3-0.5 kg compared with early pregnancy, reaching 1.8-2.3 kg per day. At this stage, the sow must maintain suitable body condition, generally best controlled to grade 2.5-3 on the American 5-grade scoring system. If it is difficult to control, follow the principle of "rather thin than fat", because overfeeding during pregnancy will lead to anorexia during lactation, cause agalactia (hyogalactia), or too much weight loss, affecting reproductive performance in subsequent parities.
V. Feeding and management of sows in late pregnancy
From the 80th day of pregnancy to farrowing, in order to ensure the rapid growth of the fetuses and improve the birth weight and health level of piglets, sows at this stage should be fed high-energy and high-protein feed, with a daily feeding amount generally of 2.3-2.8 kg. Sows should be dewormed against internal and external parasites 2 weeks before farrowing, and undergo body surface disinfection one week before farrowing before being moved into the farrowing house (crate).
VI. Feeding and management of lactating sows
During lactation, high-energy and high-protein feed should be fed, generally with crude protein greater than 16% and digestible energy greater than 3.1 Mcal/kg. The feed amount in the first 3 days after farrowing is 1.8-2.3 kg, and from the 4th day it should be increased by 0.5 kg per day until ad libitum feeding.
VII. Other important factors affecting conception rate and piglet survival rate
1. Timely mating Through pheromones, nose-to-nose contact of pigs separated by pens, back-pressure reflex tests, and observation of other estrus symptoms in sows, estrus identification should be carried out twice a day. A sow is considered in estrus when she accepts a boar mounting. Generally, the method of two matings in one estrus is used. For sows found in estrus in the morning, the first mating is in the afternoon of the same day and the second mating is the next morning; for sows found in estrus in the afternoon, the first mating is the next morning and the second mating is in the afternoon.
2. Use of hormones to regulate sow reproductive function The use of hormones can achieve relatively good results in certain situations. However, the use of hormones must be based on feeding and management, maintaining the sow in normal, moderate to slightly thin body condition and preventing disease infection. On this basis, for sows that still cannot come into estrus and mate normally, hormones can be used for regulation. Several drugs commonly used in production are introduced here:
(1) Ovulation-promoting No. 2 (LHRH-A2), ovulation-promoting No. 3 (LHRH-A3), which act as gonadotropin-releasing hormone and can promote ovulation and estrus. This product is produced by Ningbo Hormone Products Factory, and the dosage per sow is 25 micrograms;
(2) Pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), currently sold by Tianjin Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, with 1000 units per sow. After estrus, the effect is better when combined with 25 micrograms of ovulation-promoting No. 2, 25 micrograms of ovulation-promoting No. 3, or 500 units of human chorionic gonadotropin;
(3) Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), produced by Ningbo Hormone Products Factory and Nanjing Animal Hormone Factory, with a single dose of 500-1000 units. It can be used alone or in combination with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin;
(4) Androgen drugs: trihormone and cloprostenol. They can generally be purchased on the market and can be used as drugs to treat sows not coming into estrus and to initiate the estrous cycle, but after administration the first estrus generally cannot result in normal conception.
I. Adjust the proportion of parity structure
Sows of parities 3-6 are in the best period of reproductive performance. To ensure the reproductive capacity of the sow herd, sows in this parity range should be kept at around 60%, first-parity and second-parity sows at 30%-35%, and sows of parity 7 or above at 5%-10%.
II. Selection and feeding of replacement gilts
Replacement gilts are selected 1 month before mating. The method is to combine family line reproductive performance and select gilts that are well developed, have many teats with no abnormalities, large and normal teats and vulva, and at the same time require wide hind legs, preferably with a large interval between the two rows of teats and three pairs of teats in front of the navel. After selection, feeding should be appropriately restricted so that the gilt is neither too fat nor too thin (reaching grade 2.5-3 on the American 5-grade scoring standard, with vertebrae not visible but palpable, and ribs not palpable). Start increasing feed 2 weeks before mating. Reach 2.0-2.5 kg. The feed nutritional level should reach about 16% crude protein, with sufficient minerals and vitamins.
III. Feeding and management of weaned sows
To prevent mastitis, sows should gradually reduce feed to about 2 kg 3 days before weaning. However, after weaning, in order to promote estrus and increase the number of ovulations, high-quality feed should be used (crude protein >=16%, metabolizable energy >=3.1 Mcal/kg, lysine >=0.8%), and the feed amount can be given at 2.3-2.6 kg per day according to body condition.
IV. Feeding and management in early pregnancy
Sows are generally mated twice. From the 2nd day after the second mating to 3 weeks after mating, low-energy and low-protein feed should be supplied (generally crude protein >=14%, metabolizable energy 3.0-3.1 Mcal/kg). The daily feeding amount is 1.5-2.0 kg, otherwise excessive feed intake will affect progesterone secretion, increase embryonic death, and reduce litter size.
From the 4th week to the 80th day of pregnancy, feeding with low-energy and low-protein feed should continue, but the daily feed amount should be increased by 0.3-0.5 kg compared with early pregnancy, reaching 1.8-2.3 kg per day. At this stage, the sow must maintain suitable body condition, generally best controlled to grade 2.5-3 on the American 5-grade scoring system. If it is difficult to control, follow the principle of "rather thin than fat", because overfeeding during pregnancy will lead to anorexia during lactation, cause agalactia (hyogalactia), or too much weight loss, affecting reproductive performance in subsequent parities.
V. Feeding and management of sows in late pregnancy
From the 80th day of pregnancy to farrowing, in order to ensure the rapid growth of the fetuses and improve the birth weight and health level of piglets, sows at this stage should be fed high-energy and high-protein feed, with a daily feeding amount generally of 2.3-2.8 kg. Sows should be dewormed against internal and external parasites 2 weeks before farrowing, and undergo body surface disinfection one week before farrowing before being moved into the farrowing house (crate).
VI. Feeding and management of lactating sows
During lactation, high-energy and high-protein feed should be fed, generally with crude protein greater than 16% and digestible energy greater than 3.1 Mcal/kg. The feed amount in the first 3 days after farrowing is 1.8-2.3 kg, and from the 4th day it should be increased by 0.5 kg per day until ad libitum feeding.
VII. Other important factors affecting conception rate and piglet survival rate
1. Timely mating Through pheromones, nose-to-nose contact of pigs separated by pens, back-pressure reflex tests, and observation of other estrus symptoms in sows, estrus identification should be carried out twice a day. A sow is considered in estrus when she accepts a boar mounting. Generally, the method of two matings in one estrus is used. For sows found in estrus in the morning, the first mating is in the afternoon of the same day and the second mating is the next morning; for sows found in estrus in the afternoon, the first mating is the next morning and the second mating is in the afternoon.
2. Use of hormones to regulate sow reproductive function The use of hormones can achieve relatively good results in certain situations. However, the use of hormones must be based on feeding and management, maintaining the sow in normal, moderate to slightly thin body condition and preventing disease infection. On this basis, for sows that still cannot come into estrus and mate normally, hormones can be used for regulation. Several drugs commonly used in production are introduced here:
(1) Ovulation-promoting No. 2 (LHRH-A2), ovulation-promoting No. 3 (LHRH-A3), which act as gonadotropin-releasing hormone and can promote ovulation and estrus. This product is produced by Ningbo Hormone Products Factory, and the dosage per sow is 25 micrograms;
(2) Pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), currently sold by Tianjin Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, with 1000 units per sow. After estrus, the effect is better when combined with 25 micrograms of ovulation-promoting No. 2, 25 micrograms of ovulation-promoting No. 3, or 500 units of human chorionic gonadotropin;
(3) Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), produced by Ningbo Hormone Products Factory and Nanjing Animal Hormone Factory, with a single dose of 500-1000 units. It can be used alone or in combination with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin;
(4) Androgen drugs: trihormone and cloprostenol. They can generally be purchased on the market and can be used as drugs to treat sows not coming into estrus and to initiate the estrous cycle, but after administration the first estrus generally cannot result in normal conception.