Articles - Nutrition

At a moment in which the prices of the raw materials, although they are giving us a break, are still very high, it is essential to take some time to think about the use of enzymes in swine.

Different systems allow the sows to eat several times a day. In some of them we are the ones who decide, in other ones it is the sows.

The use of two different feeds for the sows in the farrowing quarters is not always easy at a logistical level.

The weaning-to-service interval is a short but vital period regarding the productivity of the sow.

Given the complexity of the problem caused by mycotoxins in pig production, we must come up with a preventive strategy in order to attain a contamination level that is as low as possible.

The hoppers and the feeders will condition our ability for attaining maximum feed consumption.

The feeding practices, the choice of the raw materials and the addition of additives have the potential of modulating the GI microbiota, reducing the energy cost for maintenance and also controlling the pathogenic bacteria.

This feeding system has a great return on investment, especially for the lactating sows, and even more in hot areas.

Constipation is one of the factors that are involved in pre weaning piglet mortality.

One of the most frequent recommendations for improving the feed consumption in sows during lactation is using pelleted feed instead of meal. Nevertheless, this recommendation is not very well supported by experimental evidences.

The performance decrease suffered by the piglets when weaned is one of the most worrying factors at the pig farms.

The piglets that suckle in the rear area of the udder start to eat feed before, and this would explain their better adaptation to the weaning.

The sow must be able to store enough calcium during the pregnancy to face the possible mobilizations during the lactation.

The decrease in the level of protein seems to be a promising strategy to increase the intramuscular fat, as long as the lysine level is adapted to the to the kind of pig used.

The success of the genetic improvement programs of the pigs in favour of a better growth and feeding efficiency and against the backfat thickness of the carcass has entailed a clear worsening of the organoleptic properties of the meat.

If the animals fast for some 12 hours before their loading onto the lorry we will reduce the compound feed consumption and we will improve the conditions of the transport to the abattoir. Nevertheless, adding up the transport and the waiting time at the abattoir we should not exceed 24 hours of fasting in total.

Albeit having similar determinants, the conversion index of the best (25%) and of the least efficient producers (25%) can differ in 0.42 points.

Bitterness leaves an unpleasant feeling linked to a decrease in feed consumption. On the other hand, modulating feed intake with bitter compounds might be an interesting tool to limit excessive voracity of pigs and sows at certain stages.

This case describes an acute outbreak of gastric ulcers in pigs of 30-40 kg live weight that affected 38 farms throughout a year and that presented mortalities from a 5% up to a 40% depending on the severity of the cases.

Perinatal flavour learning has been shown in a wide variety of species including humans, and often results in a preference in the offspring for a flavour that the mother ate often during late gestation and lactation.

The great impact of the boar on the swine production (up to more than 6,000 piglets produced by boar and year) determines the great interest in the study of any factor that can have an incidence on its production results.

In pigs there is no other phase in which such a high percentage of losses occur such as in motherhood, in particular in the first days of life. At this stage the determining factor for survival is the rapid consumption of colostrum.

This could be very shortly summarized by ‘’Start high and increase fast’’.

Today sows have a milk production of 8-12 liters/day or more. The challenge of feeding the lactating sow is not new and improvement to the genetic potential of lean and prolific dam lines make this issue of critical importance for any breeding herd.