\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the traditional key performance indicator in sow units is weaned pigs per sow per year, the pork industry is now considering weaning weight with the same level of importance, says Dr. Juan Carlos Pinilla and his colleagues at pig breeding company PIC.\u00a0 Speaking at the 2008 American Association of Swine Veterinarians, he notes that heavier weaning weights are positively correlated with growth rate, feed efficiency and pounds of saleable pork. Current estimates of milk yield are 22 to 26 lbs (10-12kg) of milk per sow per day, says Dr Pinilla.\u00a0 Many factors influence this number: health, environment, genetic potential, mammary gland stimu\u00adlation (lactation length, number and weight of the nursing piglets), nutrition, feed intake, body condition, and water intake. \u00a0His presentation described strate\u00adgies to wean heavier piglets by maximizing milk pro\u00adduction based on common practices utilized by some successful commercial systems in North America.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Maximizing milk production<\/strong><\/p>\n Number of functional teats<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n To maximize litter weaning weight, it is necessary to select replacement gilts for number and quality of their teats. \u00a0\u201cThe standard is to cull gilts with less than 12 teats, but too many producers do not have this standard in their operations,\u201d believes Dr Pinilla.\u00a0 \u201cGenerally, modern dam lines have more than 12 teats, in fact, more than 85% of gilts selected in our Genetic Nucleus show 14 or more teats at selection.\u201d \u00a0Recogniz\u00ading that the heritability of teat number is low and genetic improvement will take time genetic sup\u00adpliers still have the responsibility to improve this trait, he feels.<\/p>\n Gilt growth rate and weight at breeding<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In gilts, there is a significant correlation be\u00adtween the ADG in the period from 65 to 195 lbs (30-88kg) and the weaning weight of their litters. \u00a0The current higher milk yield potential, and consequently the potential to wean heavier piglets, could be partially explained by larger body size and more mammary tis\u00adsue in modern genotypes.<\/p>\n Beside the effects on retention rate and litter size, the current recommendation to breed gilts after they achieve 300 lbs (136kg) minimum to get farrowing weight to 400 lbs (181kg), will produce additional benefits. \u00a0\u201cGilts bred in that window will gain less body weight during their first gestation and consequently they lose less body weight during their first lactation and are able to retain weight, or even gain some weight, dur\u00ading P2 and P3, versus gilts bred at lighter weights,\u201d explains Dr. Pinilla. \u00a0\u201cAs a practical consequence, weaning weights could be increased due to higher milk yields.\u201d<\/p>\n Controlled weight gain in gestation <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It is well documented that excess weight gain in gestation limits the feed intake during lactation and increases the sow\u2019s body weight loss. \u00a0Farm management must be aware of that and manage gesta\u00adtion feeding to limit excess body weight gain. \u00a0\u201cDuring their first gestation the female should gain around 80 lbs (36kg) of body weight. \u00a0From P1 to P6, an average of 35 lbs (16kg) increase in body weight per gestation is acceptable,\u201d believes Dr. Pinilla. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cA maximum of 12% of lost weight during the first lac\u00adtation and a maximum of 8% average in older parity sows are considered as the limit body weight loss com\u00adpatible with high performance.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n In a project to control annualized sow mortality, the impact of gestational body weight gain control was seen in terms of reduction in production cost per weaned piglet, with no negative effect on the litter weight gain in farrowing. \u00a0Annualized sow mortality effectively was reduced from 13% to 5%. \u00a0\u201cA rule of thumb was derived from that experience: every lb of reduction in the daily usage of gestation diet from 7.0 lbs per day to 4.5 lbs per day can be translated into 1.0 to 1.1 lbs\/day of additional feed intake in farrow\u00ading and every additional lb of average feed intake in farrowing in turn can be translated into 20-22 extra lbs of piglets weaned per sow per year,\u201d explains Dr. Pinilla.<\/p>\n Number and weight of piglets nursed<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Litter size (number and weight of the piglets nursed) is the major individual factor in the determination of milk production. \u201cFrom a production management point of view, plan to have more than 50% of the sows wean\u00ading 11 or more piglets, particularly since milk yield is more than 50% greater when litter size increased from 6 to 12 piglets, advises Dr. Pinilla. \u00a0\u201cThe female is able to react to a higher milk requirement by eating more feed. \u00a0Suckled glands will be larger and more productive in subsequent lacta\u00adtions than un-suckled or poorly suckled glands.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0Lower performance in farrowing can be traced to the practice of loading P1 females with just 9 to 10 piglets in order to \u201cprevent extensive catabolism\u201d. \u00a0\u00a0The current recommenda\u00adtion is to load gilts with 12 strong and heavy piglets and support that with proper feeding management, cooler rooms, limited cross fostering, and water availability, he notes.<\/p>\n The most recent and promising tool to produce heavier litters is to let the sows farrow naturally and\/or limit the use of farrowing induction to risky sows (fat, lame or older than P5). \u00a0Data collected from a commercial farm suggests that every additional day of gestation results in piglets weighing 0.15 extra lbs (70g) per day, in the range from 113 to 118 days. Consequently those heavier piglets at birth have greater opportunity to vigorously suckle the teats, survive and gain weight and be weaned at a heavier weight.<\/p>\n Dr Pinilla also advises drying off piglets after birth to prevent chilling, measures to control the incidence of diarrhoea and split suckling, especially where litter size is high.\u00a0 \u201cFarms where split-suckling has been fully implemented have seen increased survivability and weaning weight, and less variation in weaning weights,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Lactation length<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It is well-known that increasing lacta\u00adtion length increases weaning weight. \u00a0\u00a0\u201cPIC research has shown that for every addi\u00adtional day in farrowing with their mother, weaning weight increases an average of 0.56 lbs\/day\/piglet (250g), which is in turn related to a reduction in the age to market, Dr. Pinilla explains. \u00a0He recommends a minimum of 20 days at weaning, recognizing that this may require additional farrowing places to be constructed in some cases. \u00a0\u201cA reduction in the breeding target, and consequently the average sow inventory, is not as cost effective as adding more farrowing spaces,\u201d he stresses.<\/p>\n Maximize lactation feed intake<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It is critical to prevent and\/or to control situations lead\u00ading to off-feed sows, stresses Dr. Pinilla. \u00a0\u201cProper hygiene measures associ\u00adated around farrowing, such as room sanitation, a clean sleeving process, and individual treatment of fever and lameness are a must. \u00a0Also, check the availability of fresh, cool and clean water is a daily duty in farrowing, mak\u00ading sure the sows have a minimum water flow rate of 0.5 gal (2 litres) per minute.\u201d<\/p>\n Data from a commercial system suggests that a mild restriction for 3 days followed by full feed\u00ading from day 4 through the end of lactation results in increased feed intake and reduced body weight loss, Dr Pinilla explains. \u00a0\u201cBased on these data, the recommendation for feeding PIC sows is to scale feed at 4.0, 4.0, and 6.0 lbs per day for days 0, 1, and 2 of lactation followed by ad-libitum access to feed. \u00a0This pattern ensures the maximum aver\u00adage daily feed intake, milk yield, litter weight gain, and minimum body weight loss.\u201d<\/p>\n Alternatives to the traditional hand feeding systems include the use of self feeders, which are able increase the average daily feed intake by about 7% compared with hand feeding systems and are less de\u00admanding in labour.\u00a0 However, no feeding protocol or feeder design will work unless qualified staff gets the sows up two or three times a day to stimulate them to eat, believes Dr. Pinilla. \u00a0\u201cOther key duties are clean\u00ading the feeders to prevent mould, adjusting the heat lamps height or simply turning them off when needed and checking room ventilation and temperature,\u201d he says. \u201cCaretakers must be able to \u2018read\u2019 the sow and piglet behaviour and make adjustments to ensure the sows eating enough feed to wean healthy and heavy piglets.\u201d<\/p>\n Cross fostering<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Cross-fostering is a common and preferred manage\u00adment tool. \u00a0While it provides opportunities to the smaller piglets in a room to get enough milk to grow, in too many situations the staff tends to use the fostering too much and\/or too often, Dr Pinilla believes. \u00a0\u201cCreate the light litters as soon as possible after all pigs have received colostrum and before the social order is established, sometime during the first 12-16 hours of life,\u201d, he advises. \u00a0\u201cWhen the equalization by size is made after day 1, the benefits are limited because it is a disruption of the normal process of nursing, sows get nervous and mastitis can become a problem.\u201d \u00a0Nurse sows to raise the fall-behinds can be created from day 4 to 7, moving a fresh sow from the next younger room, he says. \u00a0\u201cIt is important to limit the fostering to a maximum of 10-15% of the litters disrupted after day 4-7 of age.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 While the traditional key performance indicator in sow units is weaned pigs per sow per year, the pork industry is now considering weaning weight with the same level of importance, says Dr. Juan Carlos Pinilla and his colleagues at pig breeding company PIC.\u00a0 Speaking at the 2008 American Association of Swine Veterinarians, he notes 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\n Take home messages <\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \n