How Much Feed Per Day Is Suitable for a Lactating Sow
Lactating sows are mainly fed high-energy, high-protein feed, and feeding should be based on the sow's physical condition. Under normal circumstances, a lactating sow should eat about 5 kg of feed with 10% moisture content, and the mix can be adjusted according to the situation.
1. How much feed to give a lactating sow per day
A lactating sow produces about 6 kg of milk per day, and its dry matter output is equivalent to the output of 2 days during gestation. The lactation period should be well managed, and the overall goal is to maximize the lactating sow's feed intake and minimize weight loss.
The feeding of lactating sows should provide comprehensive nutrients and energy according to their needs, and their requirements should be determined based on the sow's body weight or body condition, milk yield and its composition, pig house conditions, and so on.
The general requirement is to feed less from farrowing until 6 days after farrowing; starting 6 days later, provide fresh, high-quality feed and let them eat small amounts. Starting 6 days after farrowing, allow free access to feed.
Sows generally rely on mobilizing backfat to lactate, and they will lose some body weight to a certain extent during lactation. Therefore, the degree of weight loss should be controlled through appropriate feeding to prevent reproductive problems. If a sow cannot nurse well 10 days after farrowing, the diet should be tested, with special attention to calcium and phosphorus levels.
2. Feeding management of lactating sows
The amount of high-energy diet a sow consumes is the same as with conventional feed, so energy intake can be increased by providing a high-energy diet. Sufficient protein intake ensures timely estrus and ovulation after weaning.
If protein is insufficient during lactation, it will affect the sow's estrus and conception after weaning, especially for first-parity sows. Therefore, during the sow's routine feeding process, sow health care must be done well. Sow health care is a programmatic plan: vaccine programs should be made according to the conditions of one's own pig farm and locally prevalent diseases; second, enzyme-based additives should be mixed into the feed for long-term use, because feed will more or less contain mycotoxins that are usually invisible to the naked eye, and in addition, sometimes weather changes and unclean troughs mean that after the sow eats, enterotoxins will form in the sow's body, causing a sub-healthy state in the sow, usually manifesting as severe eye discharge and tear stains, constipation problems, and so on.