Sows always have difficult births, the root cause is right here
Why do sows always have difficult births? The root cause is right here!
Generally speaking, miscarriages in sows mostly occur in first-parity sows. Some multiparous sows also have difficult births, and difficult births in multiparous sows are mostly caused by feeding and management. Today I will not discuss difficult births in multiparous sows for now; in the time to come, I will analyze the causes of difficult births in multiparous sows for everyone in detail. Back to the point, why is it the first parity? This brings us to the causes of difficult birth. Generally, there are no more than these reasons: one, the sow herself is too small, and the reproductive tract is not fully developed or is narrow; two, the piglets are too large; three, the rumps of some breeds of sows are too full, and the pubic bones do not open fully; four, breeding time is too early, and so on. These details need to be analyzed one by one, because these details are the root cause!
First, let us talk about the most sensitive part, the “rump”. Generally speaking,pig farmerswhether keeping breeding stock themselves or bringing in breeding stock from elsewhere, the first thing they look at is the sow's body shape. Where do they look at body shape? They look at the “buttocks”. As long as it is a “big buttocks”, it is a good pig! Here I want to say one thing: do you think you are judging a beauty pageant? Do you think a “huge butt” is Kim Kardashian? Actually, looking at body shape is not wrong, but focusing solely on body shape means the risk is hidden within it. In fact, if the rump is too full, during farrowing it will cause the pubic symphysis not to open and the birth canal to be narrow, which will directly lead to difficult birth in the sow. Choosing a sow is not “cat beans”; a beautiful body shape does not necessarily make money for you. Think more about everything!
The next point is the breeding timing of gilts at first estrus, that is, exactly how old a sow must be to be bred and when to breed. If bred too early, although the sow has reached estrus, the sow has not yet reached body maturity, and some reproductive organs are not fully developed. Breeding the sow at this time plants the root of disaster from then on. The correct indicator is that the sow reaches an effective age of 8 months, maintains a body weight of about 120 kg, and is bred after 2--3 estrus cycles. It is these simple precautions that somepig farmerscannot do well. Be sure to follow scientific methods as a guide and truly do a good job in the key breeding steps.
Another point is that difficult birth in sows is directly related to the sow's amount of exercise. Nowadays, due to site limitations in pig farming, sows are basically raised in sow gestation crates. The space problem is solved, but then problems appear. Replacement gilts basically spend raising, breeding, and gestation in gestation crates. The sow finally endures until she is about to go onto the farrowing bed, and unexpectedly she still ends up in that “tiny patch of land”. After finishing “postpartum confinement”, she goes straight back to the gestation crate, over and over again. Even a person would be “driven crazy”. Where is the exercise? Where is the freedom? Fortunately, in some pig farms with the conditions, sows are raised in pens, which greatly reduces the risk of difficult birth in sows. In fact, this is also the welfare that sows should have.
Here I once again remind the vast number of farmers that some factors cannot be avoided. In response to the above situations, preparations should be made to prevent difficult birth. What should be prepared? It is “cloprostenol”, not “oxytocin”. Because it has the effect of preventing difficult birth, it should be injected one day before farrowing.