Twelve tips for feeding high-yielding lactating sows

It is well known that increasing feed intake during lactation has great benefits for sow reproductive performance. After weaning, the sows who lose body fat and body protein during lactation can enter the next estrus cycle as soon as possible. In addition, based on the sow's body condition, the subsequent litter size will increase. For example, during lactation, every 10% of sow body fat will be reduced by one in the next litter. Similarly, in the previous lactation period, for every 1 kg of weight lost in the sow, the next pregnancy will be delayed by 1 day. There is not enough data to support the effect of increasing feed intake during lactation on increasing litter size. However, this role is crucial to the pig industry. It has the added value of increasing the weight of weaned piglets and deserves further study. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

The value of pig milk EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

For suckling pigs, breast milk is naturally an extremely rich source of nutrients. It contains about 200 grams per kilogram of dry matter, based on liquid milk, including 55 grams per kilogram of protein, 50 grams per kilogram of lactose, and 80 grams per kilogram of fat. Its metabolic energy is calculated to be 5.4 MJ/kg (based on liquid milk). Assuming that each kilogram of piglets requires approximately 22 megajoules of metabolizable energy per kilogram and the breast milk protein is in an optimal equilibrium state, it is estimated that each piglet gains approximately 4 kilograms of breast milk per kilogram (for simplicity, it is based solely on Energy calculation, ie 22/5.4=4). EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

Usually, the lactation diet consists of grain and plant-derived proteins and contains 14 MJ of metabolizable energy per kilogram. The efficiency of feed conversion to milk energy is approximately 70%, which means that for every kilogram of the above feed, 9.8 megajoules of metabolizable energy can be produced. If the milk production is not limited by the quantity and quality of the dietary protein, remove enough feed for daily maintenance. A sow should produce about 1.8 kg of milk per gram of feed (9.8/5.4=1.8). . EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

In fact, when sow intake exceeds the need for maintenance and milk production (rarely), some excess energy is used to restore or increase body fat and muscle reserve. Therefore, it is estimated that when the feed intake is in the range of 4~8 kg/day, the milk production response is the largest; when the daily feed intake is 5-7 kg, the milk yield response is almost linear. In the discussion of this paper, we assume that only 60% of the energy consumed per kilogram of feed is used for the synthesis of pig milk, which can produce about 1 kilogram of milk (1.8 × 0.6 ≈ 1). This calculation is more suitable for sows with moderate appetite (5~7 kg/day). EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

Further, we hypothesized that a normal sow (10 litters, 21 days of lactation) consumes an average of 6 kg of feed per day. If the daily feed intake increases by 2 kg, it can produce 2 kg of milk per day. This means that the piglet weight will increase by 0.5 kg per day (2/4 = 0.5), and the weight of each weaned pig will increase by about 1 kg (0.50 × 21/10 = 1). Assuming that the feed intake of the sow is the same, if the lactation period is 28 days, the weaned pig will weigh about 1.5 kg more. Piglets with significant weaning do not require less resources after weaning, such as diet, heat preservation and veterinary care, and can achieve weight faster and more efficiently, because for every kilogram of weaning weight, the time to market is shortened. 5 days. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

Therefore, each sow feeds 1 kg of feed during lactation, which indicates that its milk production is increased by at least 1 kg. This means that the nest will increase by 0.25 kg. Of course, the magnitude of this conversion depends on the sow's body condition and the underlying feed intake. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

How to increase the feed intake of high-yielding sows during lactation? EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving livestock

1. Feed the high-fiber diet to the sows or allow the sows to eat ad libitum two weeks before the birth to allow time for the stomach to expand. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

2. If you use the segment feeding program in the first week after the sow is lactating, let the sows eat as soon as possible. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

3. Feed lactating sows as often as possible, preferably 3 times a day, because when the sows only eat two "great meals" a day, the capacity of the stomach often limits the feed intake. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

4. Sows usually refuse to consume spoilage, so make sure the trough is as clean as possible before adding new feed. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

5. Ensure that the sows have enough water to drink, and if the water is limited, use a sink to supply water. Feed intake is closely related to water intake. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

6. Feed high-fat diets to increase nutrient intake and reduce metabolic heat production, especially during the summer months. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

7. For sows with constipation tendencies, reduce the amount of natural fiber in the feed formula and switch to chemical laxatives. Alternatively, a concentrated fiber source is used. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

8. Certain feed enzyme preparations can increase nutrient digestibility and increase nutrient intake. They work best for cereals such as wheat and barley. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

9. The pellets reduce the feed volume and allow the sow to eat more feed. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

10. Usually, an appetizer can increase feed intake. However, the proper selection of the appetizer must be tested repeatedly to ensure that it is dedicated to farms and feed. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

11. Feed the sows in the colder days of the day (early morning, evening and late night). EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

12. Ensure that the mycotoxin content is as low as possible in the lactating sow feed. If you are unsure, use a broad spectrum of mycotoxin adsorbent combinations. EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

In general, a sow needs to consume 2 to 3 kilograms of feed per day to meet maintenance needs (depending on age, weight and body condition). For each piglet, a sow needs to consume 0.5 kg of feed per day for milk production (depending on feed nutrient concentration). For example, a sow weighing 200 kg feeds 10 piglets during the 21-day lactation period, and its average daily intake is about 6-7 kg. Conversely, to cope with the increase in milk production, the same sow had a daily feed intake of 10 kg when feeding 15 piglets. This is almost impossible under commercial farming conditions. Therefore, there is a need to find ways to increase feed and nutrient intake. If the feed intake of the sow does not meet its needs, it will first be compensated by breaking down the body fat (energy deficiency phase), and secondly by reducing the milk production (protein deficiency phase). EeY China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry