THE EYE OF THE STOCK PERSON
- 5 minutes
Health issues of animals in nursery and finishing are not only caused by acute infections with bugs. Frequently they are caused by problems during the suckling period. In this booklet you will earn, how to recognise litters at risk, to judge the signals correctly and how to promote the health of the animals through targeted actions.
CROWDED UTERUS
- 5 minutes
In hyperprolific sows with the potential to produce large litters, gestation length will typically last for 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 to 5 days. The more foetuses present, the less room there is for adhesion of the placenta of each individual pig to the uterine wall. To facilitate maximal embryonic development, it is important that the sow is optimally nourished prior to insemination. Also it is important to recognise and minimise stress factors such as fluctuations in environmental temperature, social stress such as fighting and exposure to toxins and infections e.g. PRRS. In hyperprolific sows particularly, these factors have significant negative impact on the forthcoming gestation.
GESTATION PERIOD – AN UNSPECTACULAR PHASE?
- 5 minutes
Although there are few externally visible changes in gestating sows, it is during this time that physiological preparation is made for a successful suckling period. The following factors need to be considered.
CONTROLLING UNIFORMITY AND BIRTH WEIGHT OF NEWLY BORN PIGLETS
- 5 minutes
Recondition skinny sows during gestation
Increase the quantity of feed from d85 of gestation onwards:
this will maximise the glycogen reserves of the newly born piglets
Ensure farm-specific vaccination schemes (in collaboration with herd vet) are complied with to result in:
Stable immunity of sows as well as their piglets via colostrum-intake
Optimal embryonic development
SKINNY SOW, FAT SOW
- 5 minutes
The highest level of reproductive performance will be found on farms where feed intake is adjusted to the need of each individual sow. For this reason it is necessary to have a farm-specific feeding regime where the body condition of each individual sow pre-farrowing is documented and feeding adjusted accordingly on a sow by sow basis.
PREPARATION FOR FARROWING
- 5 minutes
The correct day of farrowing (often d117-d118) is critical when dealing with hyperprolific sows. Farrowings that progress smoothly and take place in a quiet environment, where the sow releases large amounts of colostrum and can suckle her piglets without interruption should be seen as the” ideal” and the objective for every farrowing. Special care to create this environment for first parity sows which may be particularly fearful will benefit them particularly.
IT’S ALL A MATTER OF THE CORRECT ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE
- 10 minutes
It should always be the goal to create an ideal thermal environment for both the high performing sow and her offspring.
EARLY DETECTION OF INADEQUATE MILK PRODUCTION (HYPOGALACTIA)
- 5 minutes
Which risk-factors are responsible for hypogalactia in the sow and what are the early signs?