Key Technical Points for Feeding and Management of Sows During Gestation in Winter
As temperatures gradually drop and winter is about to arrive, pregnant sows must not only withstand severe cold but also bear the important task of carrying fetuses. The period of low temperatures and scant sunlight is also a time when various infectious diseases occur frequently, so how should management of pregnant sows be handled at this time? Let's take a look together.
1. Choose an appropriate feeding method
Generally, three feeding methods can be adopted for pregnant sows in winter. The first is "grasp both ends and look after the middle," which is suitable for sows with a relatively long body condition, that is, supplementing with concentrated feed 20 days before mating and 10 days after mating, then mainly using green feed after body condition recovers, until 80 days after gestation, when concentrated feed is supplemented again. The second is "coarse first, fine later," which is suitable for sows in good body condition before mating, that is, feeding more coarse feed during gestation and then feeding fine feed later. The third is "step by step upward," which is suitable for first-litter sows and sows mated during lactation; in early gestation, coarse feed is the main feed, after which the proportion of concentrated feed is gradually increased, and at the same time the protein and minerals in the feed should also be increased accordingly.
2. Reasonable feed
In the daily ration of pregnant sows in winter, in addition to ensuring hygiene and quality, a certain amount of green and coarse feed is also needed so that the sows eat their fill without pressing on the fetuses. The amino acids, vitamins and trace elements in green and coarse feed are beneficial to the growth and development of the fetuses, and sufficient drinking water should be provided at the same time. It is strictly forbidden to feed moldy, frozen, toxic or strongly irritating feed, otherwise it can very easily cause miscarriage or stillbirth in sows, and the type of feed should also not be changed at will. In the last 20 days of gestation, the fetuses are highly susceptible to environmental influences, so special care should be taken with the feed, and high-quality complete feed should be provided.
3. Do a good job of protecting the fetuses
The key point for pregnant sows in winter is to do a good job of protecting the fetuses. In daily management, several points should be handled well. First, sows should be raised individually, and the pen environment should be kept clean and hygienic. In the last month of gestation, sows should eat well, sleep well and move less so as to restore body condition and strength, but in early gestation they should exercise appropriately and move less in the later stage, and exercise should stop one week before farrowing. Exercise should also stop in rainy and snowy weather to avoid slipping and falling and causing miscarriage.
4. Do a good job of keeping warm
Winter temperatures are severe, so the first priority is to do a good job of keeping warm. A special pen should be set up for the sows to ensure warmth and dryness, with humidity kept between 60%-75% and temperature kept at around 22-23 degrees. At the same time, the pen environment should be kept quiet; if the environment is noisy, the sows will be frightened and suffer stress, which can very easily cause miscarriage or difficult farrowing.
The above is an introduction to the feeding and management of sows during gestation in winter. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.