When should we feed sows in farrowing?
There is evidence in cattle and ewes that feeding at night increases the incidence of calving during the day. In commercial farms, sows are typically fed during daytime hours, with a high percentage of farrowing events occurring unassisted overnight. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding time (morning vs evening) on farrowing time in sows. Initiating sow feeding in the morning increased the frequency of farrowing during the day (7:00 am to 3:00 pm) compared to evening fed sows. However, there was an increase in the total number of piglets weaned and a decrease in pre-weaning mortality in sows that received PM feeding. These results suggest that initiating feeding in the morning may be beneficial for maximizing the number of farrowing events that occur and are completed when workers are present. Further research is required to determine optimal initiation of feeding time pre-farrow to further improve farrowing outcomes.
When should we feed sows in farrowing? (full article)
