What causes sows to farrow few piglets?

Many rural households raise some poultry and livestock, among which pigs are the most common, and pork is also one of our main meats, so raising pigs is also a source of income for many families. But what troubles people greatly is that sows always farrow very few piglets. A normal sow can give birth to 8-12 piglets per litter, while in some households the sow farrows only 3-5. What is going on? Low sow productivity holds back the development of the pig industry. Let's take a look at Qinnong.com for the reasons why sows farrow few piglets.

1. Mating time

The mating time of sows must be standardized; only when the mating time is standardized will the litter size be larger. Generally, the best mating time is 12 hours before the sow ovulates, so if you want a larger litter size, you must figure out the sow's ovulation time to determine the mating time. Generally speaking, the litter size of sows is also affected to some extent by season; mating during the period from January to April generally results in a larger litter size than mating from June to September.

2. Breed reasons

Litter size is inseparable from the breed of the pig. Some pigs are inherently highly fertile, so they have large litters, while some pigs have average fertility, so their litter size is average. When selecting breeding pigs, you must be careful. Do not only pay attention to the pig's body shape and condition, but also understand its reproductive capacity, so as to avoid the situation of a small litter size.

3. Boar problems

Mating is inseparable from the boar. If the breeding boar is improperly fed or is mated frequently over a long period, these problems can all lead to poor semen quality in the boar, resulting in poor conception in the sow, and all of these will cause the sow to farrow a small number of piglets. If this is the case, artificial insemination can be chosen. With the popularization of artificial insemination, many animals are now bred by artificial insemination, which can save more costs.

4. Poor breeding environment and nutrition

The breeding environment still has a relatively large impact on farrowing. For example, if the temperature and humidity of the farm are too high, it will affect the litter size of the sow. Sows are more sensitive in early pregnancy, and any disturbance can cause the loss of embryos, so the farm must be kept quiet and the sow must not be startled. In addition, the sow's nutrition also affects fertilization and embryonic development. Feeding high-quality feed before mating improves the fertilization rate, while feeding too much after mating reduces the embryo survival rate, so nutrition must be balanced.

5. Diseases

Many diseases can affect the reproductive capacity of pigs, causing difficulty in fertilization, a small litter size, and even miscarriage and stillbirth, such as swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and other diseases. Therefore, protective measures should usually be taken, vaccines should be injected in time, and regular inspections should be carried out to avoid the occurrence of diseases.

The above are the reasons for sows farrowing few piglets brought to you by Qinnong.com. There are many reasons why sows farrow few piglets, but the main ones are the above. Be sure to pay attention during daily raising. We hope this can help you.