Nutrient recommendations for lactating sows
| Nutrients | Lactating gilt (parity 1 & 2) | Lactating sow (parity 2/3 onwards) |
| Net energy (MJ/kg) | 9.8–10.2 | 9.7–10.0 |
| Crude protein (%) | 18.0–19.0 | 16.0–17.5 |
| Crude fibre (%) | 3.5 minimum | 3.5 minimum |
What nutrients do lactating sows need?
The energy, protein, lysine and other nutrient requirements of a lactating sow depend on her weight, milk yield, and to a much lesser extent, the environmental conditions under which she is housed. Unfortunately, we rarely know the sow's weight or her milk yield.
What is the feeding program for lactating sows?
The objective of the feeding program for lactating sows is to ensure that all sows consume sufficient feed on a daily basis to meet their energy and nutrient requirements.
When should I start feeding my lactating sow?
Feed and nutrient intake increases comparatively slower and will typically not maximize until day 12-18 of the lactation period, depending on the feeding schedule used. Resultantly the lactating sow is in a negative energy balance during the first 2 weeks of the lactation.
What is the best way to feed a pregnant sow?
Such a feeding system will ensure a minimum sow weight loss and optimize litter weaning weight. Many herds can manage ad lib feeding systems either by hand-feeding or automatic full-feeding systems without experiencing drops in sow feed intake in mid-lactation, and achieve high sow feed intakes.
How do you take care of a lactating sow?
Decreasing the effective environmental temperature, increasing the nutrient density of the lactation diet, maintaining fresh adequate supplies of feed and water, and preventing excess weight gain during the prior gestation period will increase nutrient intake during lactation.
What is lactating feeds for pigs?
Sows or gilts weaning 11 pigs will need a mean lactation feed intake in excess of 94MJ DE per day to avoid excessive weight loss during lactation. This is the equivalent of 6.6kg of a diet containing 14.2MJ DE per kg.
When should I feed my lactating pig?
If feed is available to them, lactating sows will consume 20-25% of their daily intake in late evening and during the night. Therefore, it is particularly important to have feed available to sows during the cooler period of the day during hot weather.
How long does lactation last in sows?
A short lactation length (12-14 days) holds pig health and performance benefits. But, sow physiological limitations restrict lactation lengths to about 17 days for consistent breeding and reproduction performance.
What should a mother pig eat after giving birth?
Sows need not be fed for 12-24 hours after farrowing, but water should be continuously available. Two or three lb. of a laxative feed may be fed at the first post-farrow feeding; amount of feed should be gradually increased until the maximal feed level is reached as soon as possible after farrowing.
How much should a lactating sow eat?
between 14 and 15 poundsSows at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center are fed an ad libitum ration through the entire lactation period, with fresh feed supplied each day. On average, each sow consumes between 14 and 15 pounds of feed per day during the period.
How do you increase milk in breastfeeding sows?
6 tips for sow milk productionCorrect water intake.Maintain appropriate temperature.Maintain body condition.Support feed intake.Address inflammation (engergy loss)Use Digestarom®
How much water does a lactating sow drink?
5 to 10 gallons per dayIn lactation, sows have the greatest water requirement attributed to meeting the demands of milk production. Also, water consumption is important to encourage feed consumption in lactation. Water requirements for lactating sows range from 5 to 10 gallons per day (Kruse et al., 2011).
Can you worm a nursing pig?
Can I deworm pregnant or nursing pigs? Yes, fenbendazole and ivermectin are both safe in these situations. Pregnant sows can be dewormed and this will actually help prevent her from transferring mites to the newborn babies.
When should I deworm my pigs after weaning?
2-3 weeksPiglets should be dewormed 2-3 weeks after weaning/ arrival on a wean to finish farm and then every 6-8 weeks until pigs are market ready. Pigs can be dewormed in the water, feed or by injection. Injectable dewormers like Ivomec and Dectomax are also effective against mange and lice.
Which additional vitamins are beneficial for gestating and lactating sows?
In addition, recent research shows that additions of folic acid and biotin may improve sow and litter performance when added to gestation and lactation diets.
How much milk does a lactating sow need?
Over 80% of the energy requirement of a lactating sow is for milk production. It requires 4 kg milk to produce 1 kg litter gain. Therefore, we can estimate milk production and the energy required by the sow from an estimate of litter weight gain.
What is the energy requirement of a lactating sow?
Estimates of the energy cost of milk production are 2 Mcal DE/kg milk. Over 80% of the energy requirement of a lactating sow is for milk production.
What are the consequences of sows being leaner?
A further consequence of leaner, heavier sows is an increase in energy requirements for maintenance. Although modern genotypes have reduced appetites, maximum milk yield has increased by up to 30% and the energy content of sows milk has increased by 14%.
What are the factors that influence feed intake?
Of these factors, genotype, body composition at farrowing and farrowing barn temperature are probably the most important factors influencing feed intake.
Do lactating sows need to be fed?
As mentioned previously there is considerable evidence that the voluntary feed intake of modern day lactating sows is low, especially for the first and second parity sows, and often does not provide sufficient energy or other nutrients to meet the sows requirements.
Is milk yield dependent on lysine?
As energy intake increases the response to increased levels of lysine also increases. Thus, milk yield is dependent on both lysine and energy intake. The concept of an ideal protein or ideal amino acid balance is widely used.
Is a modern sow more productive?
By F. Aherne, Swine Nutrition and Management Consultant, Canada - Modern sows are larger, more productive and have smaller appetites than sows of 10 to 15 years ago and they are being bred at a younger age.
What are the nutrient requirements of a lactating sow?
The energy, protein, lysine and other nutrient requirements of a lactating sow depend on her weight, milk yield, and to a much lesser extent, the environmental conditions under which she is housed. Unfortunately, we rarely know the sow's weight or her milk yield.
What is the feeding system of a lactating sow?
Feeding System. The energy, amino acid and other nutrient requirements of lactating sows are primarily dependent on their milk yield and its composition, and sow weight and parity. Obviously, the larger the sow and the more milk she produces, the more energy and nutrients she will require. First-parity sows and, to a lesser extent, second-parity ...
What temperature should a barn be for a sow?
Barn Temperature. Whenever possible, the farrowing room temperature should be kept between 66° and 72° F. High barn temperature will decrease feed intake of all lactating sows, but first-parity sows are the most sensitive. As a rule of thumb, average daily feed intake will decrease by 0.2 lb./°F when temperatures rise above 66° F.
How long does it take for a farm to increase sow feed allowance?
The basic reason: Many farms adopt a feeding program that gradually increases sow feed allowance over the first 5 to 10 days of lactation.
What happens to milk production after a sow loses protein?
But this sacrifice is made to a certain point; After a 10-12% loss of protein mass, then milk production will be decreased.
Can you restrict feeding pigs in early lactation?
Restricted feeding in early lactation is commonly practiced by those who believe that over-feeding sows in early lactation may cause udder congestion and hypogalactia, piglet scours and sow constipation, and may lead to sows “going-off” feed in mid- to late-lactation.
How is milk yield determined?
Milk yield is determined by genotype, but it is also greatly influenced by the number and vitality of pigs in a litter. The objective of the feeding program must be to maximize milk yield and limit loss of the sow's protein mass.
What is the purpose of feeding lactating sows?
The objective of the feeding program for lactating sows is to: Ensure that all sows consume sufficient feed on a daily basis to meet their energy and nutrient requirements. Minimize short- and long-term reproductive performance problems due to negative energy and nutrient balance. Optimize litter performance.
What to feed a sow after farrowing?
In general, lactation diets for highly productive sows should contain ingredients that are concentrated sources of energy and protein such as corn and soybean meal. Feed ingredients that are high in fiber content, such as soy hulls, oats, wheat midds, beet pulp, alfalfa hay, or wheat bran dilute the nutrient content of the diet and may limit total nutrient intake. Some producers add bulky feed ingredients to the sow’s diet before and a few days after farrowing in an attempt to prevent constipation, reduce incidence of mastitis, and prevent death loss due to twisted gut, but research indicating improvements in sow performance by adding laxatives or bulking agents to lactation diets is lacking. Bulking agents may improve sow comfort and produce a softer stool if added to prefarrowing diets.
How does overfeeding affect lactation?
Overfeeding during gestation reduces feed intake during lactation. Several studies have demonstrated that as feed intake and the associated weight gain during gestation increase, feed intake during the subsequent lactation decreases (5,6). Sow longevity is also negatively affected by increased gestational body weight gain and fatness (7), while excessive energy intake can compromise mammary development during gestation and may reduce milk production in the subsequent lactation (8). Sows should be fed during pregnancy to achieve a body condition score of 3 on a 5 point scale at the time of farrowing, or approximately 0.7 – 0.8 inches last rib backfat (Figure 1). Feeding sows during gestation based on body weight and backfat level will greatly increase the proportion of sows in optimal body condition entering farrowing (9). More information on appropriate feeding strategies for sows during gestation to achieve ideal body condition at farrowing is provided in PIG Factsheet #07-01-11 (Gestating Swine Nutrient Recommendations and Feeding Management).
How much milk does a sow produce?
Modern sows produce large volumes of milk, up to 3 gallons (or 25 lbs) per day. Relative to her body weight, a good sow produces more milk than a dairy cow. This high level of milk production results in daily nutrient requirements that are about three times higher than during gestation.
What are the energy requirements of a lactating sow?
The energy and nutrient requirements of the lactating sow depend upon her weight, milk yield and composition, and to a les ser extent, the environmental conditions under which she is housed (1). For highly prolific and productive sows, nutrients from body tissue reserves and feed are used to support lactation.
How does protein affect sows?
In one study (10), decreasing the crude protein level of the diet from 16% or 18% to 12% or 14% resulted in reduced feed consumption, and consequently increased weight loss in sows over the lactation period.
What are the long term problems of a sow herd?
Long-term problems include a high culling rate of the sow herd resulting in low average parity, reduced pigs weaned per reproductive lifetime and higher genetic cost per pig produced. Lactation is the most demanding phase of the reproductive cycle, with significant energy being required for milk production.
What is lactating sow feed?
Lactating sow feeds should be formulated with a low crude protein, low fermentable carbohydrate (FCHO) and a high amount of glucogenic nutrients (starch + sugars) in order to stimulate feed intake, increase milk production and reducing weight loss. Feeding programs need to be adapted to the specific requirements of each phase ...
What is the protein content of sow milk?
The crude protein content of sow milk varies from 4.5-5.5% and the lysine content of milk protein from 6.5-7.8%. Assuming an average crude protein content of 5.2% in sow milk and a lysine content of 7.5% in milk protein, the lysine content is 5.2*0.075 = 0.39% in sow milk.
Why do sows need to be in a positive energy balance?
When weight losses are high in early lactation, the ileal digestible amino acid/NE ratio needs to be increased in the second part of the lactation period and in early gestation, the sow being in a positive energy balance, in order to restore lean tissue.
When does milk production increase after farrowing?
Milk production increases rapidly after farrowing and typically maximizes around day 10-14 of the lactation period. Feed and nutrient intake increases comparatively slower and will typically not maximize until day 12-18 of the lactation period, depending on the feeding schedule used.
How much protein is in a lean sow?
Feyera, 2014 showed that regardless of the body weight loss of lean sow, roughly 1/3 of the body weight loss is fat and 2/3 protein tissue. Muscle contains 75% moisture and 25% protein, depot fat 15% moisture.
Do lean sows lose weight?
Resultantly modern lean sows will lose large amount of weight during (the first part of) the lactation period, the energy content of muscle being relatively low, milk production high and feed (energy) intake insufficient.
What are the main nutrients involved in lactation?
Energy. The main nutrients involved in lactation are energy and amino acids . Despite the fact that this is widely accepted by all, there is a recent debate on how hormones related to lactation (prolactin and insulin) interact with energy and amino acids.
When is restricted feeding no longer applicable?
In contrast to the practices of previous years, feeding patterns that were based in restricted feeding, mainly during the first week after birth, are no longer applicable as much scientific evidence suggests a negative impact on total milk production.
Summary
The number of piglets born alive per litter has increased by 1.5 in the past 10 years, from 10.8 in 2001 to 12.3 in 2011 (Teagasc PIGSYS, 2011). This trend is set to continue.
Energy Requirement
The empty weight of the sow after farrowing can be used to determine the maintenance energy requirement for the sow. This is calculated as 0.492MJ digestible energy (DE) per kg body weight 0.75 per day. Table 1 shows the Maintenance Energy requirement for sows varying in weight from 180 to 250kg.
Example
Sows or gilts weaning 11 pigs will need a mean lactation feed intake in excess of 94MJ DE per day to avoid excessive weight loss during lactation. This is the equivalent of 6.6kg of a diet containing 14.2MJ DE per kg.
Lysine Requirement
The empty weight of the sow after farrowing can be used to determine the maintenance lysine requirement for the sow. This is calculated as 40mg total lysine per kg body weight 0.75 per day. Table 7 shows the maintenance lysine requirement for sows varying in weight from 180 to 250kg.
Example
Gilts and sows weaning 11 pigs will need a minimum mean lactation intake in excess of 56.5g and 53.1g total lysine per day, respectively. This is the equivalent of 6.2kg for gilts and 5.8kg of feed per day for sows when fed a diet containing 9.1g total lysine per kg.
Feeding Lactating Sows
An average yielding dairy cow (5,000 litres per year) with a 260-day lactation has an average milk yield of 19.2 litres of milk per day or 2.4kg solids (12.5 per cent solids content). The litter of a sow weaning 11 pigs at 8kg has a mean growth rate over 28 days of 2.55kg per day, which is the equivalent of 10.2 litres per day of sow’s milk.
Summary
Modern sows can produce quantities of milk solids similar to that of dairy cows.
What is the purpose of feeding gestating sows?
The objective of the feeding program for gestating sows is to achieve an appropriate, targeted sow weight gain during gestation that will allow optimum litter development and prepare the sow for lactation.
What should a feeding program be based on?
The feeding program should be based on some estimate of sow weight, backfat and/or body condition at the time of breeding. This program should be designed to:
What happens if a sow is underfed?
On the other hand, if sows are underfed during gestation and have low levels of backfat at farrowing, they may have reduced milk production and poor reproductive performance after weaning. Average sow replacement rates in the USA were about 60% in 2003 with a range of 33-86% (Deen, 2003).
How long does a sow's gestation last?
Because gestation lasts for 113-116 days, small differences in daily feed intake can lead to large differences in sow weight gain and backfat levels at farrowing.
What happens if a sow has little backfat?
If a thin sow has to draw on body reserves during lactation to support milk production and has little backfat, she will mobilize her protein tissues as an energy source to meet her needs .
How does feeding affect a herd?
More importantly, the feeding program in the breeding herd can significantly influence sow productivity and longevity in the herd. Most costs, including feeding costs, in the breeding herd are fixed costs and therefore, increased breeding herd efficiency will reduce overall production costs. Therefore, there is considerable scope ...
What is the purpose of breeding pigs?
The purpose of the breeding herd is to consistently produce a targeted number of high quality weaned pigs in an efficient manner and at low cost. Feed costs in the breeding herd constitute about 12% of the cost of producing a market hog. More importantly, the feeding program in the breeding herd can significantly influence sow productivity and longevity in the herd. Most costs, including feeding costs, in the breeding herd are fixed costs and therefore, increased breeding herd efficiency will reduce overall production costs. Therefore, there is considerable scope to reduce input costs and increase production efficiency through improvement in the feeding of the gestating and lactating sow.
How much to feed a lactating sow
Just had a gilt have her first litter. I am feeding her a lactation ration. Leading up to this, I was giving her 4 lbs a day of a gestation feed. Should I increase the amount now that she has her litter? If so, how much? I gave her 8 lbs today.
How much to feed a lactating sow
Just had a gilt have her first litter. I am feeding her a lactation ration. Leading up to this, I was giving her 4 lbs a day of a gestation feed. Should I increase the amount now that she has her litter? If so, how much? I gave her 8 lbs today.
