48 Pork News & Views Pork News & Views Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Better Pork | June 2024 to deliver precise amounts of feed to each animal. The feeding system chosen will ultimately depend on your preferred management style, comfort levels with electronics and the desired outcome for each animal. The feeding system for sows is often tied to the housing system used (stalls vs. groups vs. individual farrowing crates/pens). Sows that are currently in the breeding or gestating phase of their reproductive cycle are limit fed to prevent over conditioning, which can lead to difficulty with farrowing and lactation. These sows should be fed 1-2 times per day. The amount of feed will vary depending on animal size, production level and if they are consuming any forage in addition to their grain diet. On average, these sows should consume 2 to 2.5 kg (4.5 to 5.5 lbs) of concentrate feed per day if no forage is provided, and 1 to 1.4 kg (2.5 to 3 lbs) per day if forage is provided also. Forage (fibre) is a great way to help the sow feel fuller while she is on a restricted amount of feed. There are different strategies that can be implemented when feeding gestating sows. These include: Standard feeding: sows are fed one diet at the same amount throughout their entire gestation period. The amount can be tailo- red for each sow if the feed sys- tem allows. Bump feeding: feed allowance is increased towards the end of gestation. Top dressing: sows are provided with an additional supplemental diet during late gestation or for thin sows. Phase feeding: different feeding levels or diets are fed based on the stage of gestation and/or parity of the sow. Precision feeding: blending two or more diets to precisely match the sows’ nutrient requirements daily as she progresses through gestation (electronic system with blending capabilities required). Regardless of which feeding program you are using, assessing the sows body condition score will help guide feeding amounts. To understand the importance of sow body condition and how to evaluate it, refer to OMAFRA Factsheet 20-003 Determining the size of finisher pigs, replacement gilts and sows (https://www.ontario.ca/page/determining-size-finisher-pigs-replacement-gilts-and-sows). Lactating sows should be fed as much as they are willing and able to eat. Higher feed intake leads to increased milk production and thriving litters. Their feed intake will increase over the first few days of lactation and can reach 6.8 kg (15 lbs) or more per day during peak lactation. It is extremely important to keep lactating sow feeders clean and not let feed spoil in the feeder, as this may cause the sow to reduce or stop intake. If you are feeding forages, lactating sows should not be getting large amounts, as this takes up space in their gastrointestinal system and ultimately reduces the amount of usable nutrients available for milk production by reducing the intake of concentrated feed. There are several strategies used to maximize lactating sow feed intake, and success varies from farm to farm. Some producers provide the sow with ad libitum (free access) feed just before or after farrowing, whereas others ramp up the amount of feed given over the first few days of lactation. You will need to determine what system works best on your farm. Some other tips to remember with lactating sows: Feed them frequently instead of filling their feeder once a day. This encourages them to get up more often and keeps feed fres- her (less likely that it will spoil). Remember that gilts and youn- ger sows will consume less feed than the older ones. The body condition of the sow at the time of farrowing will impact her feed consumption throughout lactation. Overweight sows will consume less feed post-farrowing and rely more on their own body fat to supply nutrients in milk. Using a pelleted feed can increa- se feed intake vs. a mash diet. During the summer, when temperatures are high, sows will consume less feed. Work with your nutritionist to make a summer ration that is more nutri- ent dense (contains fat) so she can consume more nutrients with less volume of feed. Having a water nipple in the fee- der can help increase feed intake. Suckling Piglets Most suckling piglets perform well by consuming colostrum and milk from their dam. Colostrum is the first milk the sow produces, which is especially rich in antibodies and other immune cells. Unlike in humans, antibodies cannot cross the placental membrane to the piglets during gestation, therefore piglets must consume colostrum after they are born to receive this essential immune protection from their mothers. Sows will only produce colostrum for the first 24-48 hours after farrowing, and the ability of piglets to absorb antibodies from colostrum begins to decline rapidly after birth. Research has shown that piglets need to consume at least 100 mL of colostrum within the first 24 hours of life. Sows will nurse their litter approximately once an hour throughout the lactation period. In some instances, piglets may need some extra care throughout their suckling period. This may be due to a sow that isn’t producing enough milk, a sow that had more piglets than teats to nurse from, or a low-birth-weight piglet that just needs some extra help to get
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