Experiments in Indiana suggest that young lactating sows fed spray-dried plasma in summer had increased feed intake and reduced weaning-to-estrus interval, whereas mature sows had lower feed intake and heavier litter weights without compromising days to estrus
by JANICE MURPHY
A tremendous amount of time and energy goes into the selection and management of breeding females in a swine herd. Attrition of young sows has a significant impact on a production unit’s ability to achieve sow longevity targets. Ultimately, a breeding female must produce enough offspring to offset her purchase price and maintenance costs within the herd so that any offspring produced above and beyond that represent profit.