Managing a 3-week batch system, weaning at the beginning of the week
This may be a good option when farrowings and litter control during the first days are the priority.
Page 11 of articles about gestation
Individual sow housing benefits the animals - and people
A hog farmer from Friend, Neb., explains why sows are housed individually and how that individual care benefits the animals, helps maintain herd health and ultimately provides quality pork.
Managing a 3-week batch system
On small farms it is better to group tasks on specific days, leaving other days with less tasks in order to organize days off...
Limited and excess dietary protein during gestation affects growth and compositional traits in gilts and impairs offspring fetal growth
Gestation diets containing protein at 50 and 250% of recommendations led to marked changes in protein and fat metabolism in gilts resulting in fetal growth retardation of 15%.
The threonine requirement of sows increases in late gestation
Feeding a single amount of amino acids (AA) throughout gestation results in overfeeding AA in early gestation and underfeeding AA in late gestation.
Effect of N,N-dimethylglycine supplementation in parturition feed for sows on metabolism, nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance
The current pilot study assessed the influence of N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG) on insulin sensitivity, glucose and fat metabolism, nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance of sows in the peripartal period.
Dry sows in dynamic groups: An investigation of social behaviour when introducing new sows
The aim of this investigarion was to analyse the frequency of agonistic interactions (AI) and the lying behaviour of new and resident sows.
Dose-response effect of fish oil substitution in parturition feed on erythrocyte membrane characteristics and sow performance
Osmotic resistance of erythrocytes was not altered by increasing amounts of n-3 PUFA, whereas oxidative stability of erythrocytes, as well as oxidative parameters in plasma, were affected.
Does group housing increase the risk of reproduction problems in French sow herds?
The aim of this study was to investigate reproductive performance and possible reproductive problems (late estrus, infertility, reasons for culling) in herds with either group‐housed or individually housed pregnant sows. In a second analysis, we evaluated the effects of different group housing systems.
Mating guidelines (II)
The ideal mating guideline should follow 2 objectives: At least one mating should be adjusted to meet the ideal time and achieve the first objective with the least number of matings.
Reproductive performance of sows is affected by the dietary omega‐6 to omega‐3 fatty acid ratio
An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of the omega‐6 (n‐6) to omega‐3 (n‐3) fatty acid ratio in sow diets on reproductive performance and immunoglobulin profiles in sow colostrum and piglet serum.
Feeding sows during labor: practical advice
It isn’t easy to compile a bibliography referring to this subject matter in specific cases; one has to search for it among the footnotes of other, more general works. The aim of this article is to sum up aspects of feeding that can be important at the time of farrowing.
Ideal mating time
The optimal fertilization of a sow depends on several factors, among them, mating in a specific moment of the oestrus.
Linseed meal during early pregnancy increases litter size in pigs
To determine how feeding linseed meal (LSM) during gestation influences litter size, placental weight, and piglet growth, sows (n = 30) received a phytoestrogen-free Control diet throughout gestation; 12.5% LSM diet throughout gestation (LSM114); or 12.5% LSM diet from day 1 to day 15 of gestation and control diet until parturition (LSM15).
In search of the ideal batch (1/2)
During the last 10 years we have been trying to optimize the different Batch Management systems (BM), searching for the most effective system. We had come to the conclusion that each one of the different traditional BM options had their pros and cons, and neither is better or worse than the other. Electing the best system depends on the necessities and the calibration of space on each particular farm. However, we have recently “discovered” a new BM option that opens the door to new possibilities.
Effects of extra feeding in mid-pregnancy for three successive parities on lean sows’ productive performance and longevity
The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of increasing feeding allowance during mid-pregnancy in sows.