Management of Sows

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Management of Sows
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Sow ManagementOutline

• 1. Management of gilts
• 2. Management of gestating sows
• 3. Management of lactating sows
• 4. Management from Weaning to breeding

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1. Gilt Management
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1.1 Number of gilts needed

• Depends on sow culling rate
• Usually around 20 first litter sows (18-25)
• With 2.5 litters/sow/year 50 gilts/year
• On 600 sow farm 300 gilts needed per year
• If 75 of gilts are used 400 gilts should be
  purchased or produced

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1.2 Gilts in Isolation

• Gilts in Isolation every 10 weeks
• Age should be between 3 and 5 month
• After 8 weeks Move gilts to sow unit
• Clean isolation between groups

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1.3 Why have gilts in isolation

• 1. Prevent disease introduction in herd
• 2. Prepare gilts to enter farm
• Vaccinations
• Adaptation
• 3. Control of health status
• Bleeding

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1.4 Feeding strategy for non-bred gilts

• Feed ad lib until 70-80 kg
• Use normal nursery/grower diet
• Feed 75 of ad lib during rest of period
• Use lactation diet or similar

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1.5 Breeding the Gilts

• Move gilts to breeding barn
• Boar exposure
• Feed ad libitum - add sex mixture
• Move around
• Spray with cold water 10 min/day
• Breed in 2nd or 3rd estrus

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2. Management of Gestating Sows
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2. Gestation Management

• 2.1. Feed and feed adjustments
• 2.2. Reproductive checks
• 2.3. Disease management
• 2.4. Daily chores

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2.1.1 Feeding gestating gilts and sows

• 1 Day 1-21 Implantation
• 2 Day 22-90 Body condition
• 3 Day 91-112 Fetal growth
• 4 Day 113-115 Prepare farrowing

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2.1.2 Feeding curves in gestation(kg/day, 3.0 -
3.2 Mcal/kg)
Remember Adjustments for temp. if lower than 20oC
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2.1.3 Feed Adjustments

• On a weekly basis, all sows are checked for body
  condition and moved to different curve if
  necessary
• Use diets that meet the nutritional requirement
  of gestating sows and gilts
• Table 14 in SD NE Swine Nutrition Guide
• If same diet used for gilts and sows, remember
  that gilts have higher aa requirements than sows.

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2.1.4 Importance of right body condition

• Fat sows and gilts
• Diabetes
• Difficulties farrowing their pigs
• Reduced feed intake in lactation
• Reduced milk yield in lactation
• Shorter longevity

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2.1.5 Water

• Sows should have free access to water 24 h per
  day
• Check water quality
• Water from pump better than water from nipples
• Give water several times per day

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2.2. Reproductive Checks
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2.2.1 Barn Management

• Place sows after day of breeding
• Keep breeding groups together
• Move sows out if they return to heat
• Use color scheme for each group

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2.2.2 Reproduction Checkups

• Check for heat every day
• Concentrate on sows 3, 6,and 9 wks post breeding
  (same color)
• Pregnancy check 4-5 wks post breeding
• Ultra sound
• Scanning

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2.2.3 Efficiency of heat check

• Important to spend all the time that is necessary
  for efficient heat check of gestating sows every
  day
• The closer the average breeding to rebreeding
  interval is to 21 days, the better a job did you
  do heat checking gest. sows

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2.3. Disease Management
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2.3. Disease Management

• Make sure vaccination program is followed
• Many vaccinations 3 wks pre-partum
• If diseases in farrowing unit, discuss medication
  of gestating sows with vet.
• Look for urinary tract diseases in gest. unit
• Keep high sanitation level in barn

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2.4 Daily chores in gestation barn
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2.4 Daily chores in gestation barn

• Feeding
• Check that all sows eat their ration
• Check heat
• Check for urinary tract diseases
• Measure urinary pH
• Check for other diseases and abnormalities
• bad legs or feet

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3. Management of Lactating Sows
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3. Management of lactating sows

• 3.1. Feeding
• 3.2. Management around parturition
• 3.3. Piglet management
• 3.4 Daily chores

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3.1.1 Objectives of feeding lactating sows

• 1. High milk yield
• More milk decreases preweaning mortality and
  increases weaning weight
• 2. Prevent BW loss
• Low weight loss improves the chances of the sow
  returning to heat right after weaning

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3.1.2 Feeding strategy for lactating sows

• Day 1-2 2 kg per day
• Day 3-4 4 kg per day
• Day 5- weaning Ad Libitum (semi ad.lib)

• Check sows 30 min. after feeding
• if feeder completely clean, give more feed next
  time
• if feed left in feeder, give less feed next time
• if crumples left in feeder, give same amount next
  time

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3.1.3. How to get high feed intake

• Make sure water is available all the time
• Include fat in diet (Increases energy)
• Barn temperature around 20oC
• drip cooling if hot
• Feed at least 2 times a day - 3 is better
• Dont let feed sit in feeder

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3.1.4 Feed Ingredients for lactating sows

• Same as for gestating sows.
• Keep fiber levels relatively low
• OK to use synthetic AA
• Fish meal may be included
• Include oil or fat
• Dont change ingredients from gestation to
  lactation

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3.1.5 Nutrients in lactation diets

• Table 14 in Swine Nutrition Guide
• Nutrient requirement depend on milk yield and
  daily feed intake
• If FI low, more concentrated diets are needed.
• Vitamin fortification may need to be improved in
  high producing sows

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3.1.6 Calculating the lysine need
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3.1.7. Lysine concentration in diet

• Week 3 74,1 g/day
• Conc. if eating 9 kg/day 0,82
• Conc. If eating 6 kg/day 1.24

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3.2 Management Around Parturition
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3.2.1 Management around parturitionObjectives

• Avoid problems during parturition
• Decrease number of still born pigs
• Make sure live borns get colostrum and warm
  surrounding
• Make sure sow is treated if she gets sick

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3.2.2 General Points

• Clean and disinfect barn
• Low feed intake before and after
• Plenty of water
• Watch farrowings if possible
• Assist sow in farrowing if needed

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3.2.3. Inductions of Farrowings

• Use prostaglandins or oxytocin
• Induce no earlier than d 113
• sows will farrow 24-30 h later
• Only induce sows that look ready to farrow
• Otherwise too many small piglets

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3.3. Piglet Management
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3.3.1. Litter Standardization

• Move pigs around 24-48 h post partum
• Give all sows 10-12 pigs
• Make nurse sows if too many piglets
• use older sows weaned at 14 d for this
• Move all small pigs into same litter
• use 2nd parity sow for these pigs

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3.4 Daily chores in farrowing barn
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3.4.1 Daily sow check-ups

• Feed sows
• Check sows for discharges and diseases
• Treat sows that need it
• Check temperature, vent., drip cooling etc.
• Look for cull sows

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3.4.2 Daily pig check-ups

• Get all pigs up and running around
• Look for bad joints and diarrhea
• Treat sick piglets
• Remove pigs that are getting behind
• Give milk replacer to litters with small pigs
• Give creep feed after day 8

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4. Management from Weaning to Breeding
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4.1 Weaning

• Wean sows Wednesdays or Thursdays
• Move sows to breeding barn
• Give sows direct boar contact
• Box sows individually in breeding barn
• Turn light on at least 14 h per d

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4.2 Feeding

• Feed ad libitum w. lactation diet
• give sex mixture
• Water freely available

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4.3 Breeding

• Start heat checking d. 5 post weaning
• Breed at least twice with 24 h intervals
• Use AI or natural breeding
• If natural breeding Hand breed