3 reasons to house farrowing sows individually?
- Enables individual sow feeding
- Reduces preweaning mortality
- Allows for microenvironment for piglets
Problem with housing farrowing sows individually?
Does not accommodate nesting behavior
What is max time sows should stay in farrowing crates?
6 weeks
Pre-farrowing procedures
- Transfer sows to farrowing raoom at D110-112
- Reduce feed intake 2-3days prefarrow
- Scrape manure behind sows daily
- Vaccinate
What is the natural rise in fetal cortisol rqd for?
- Farrowing induction
2. Maturation of fetal tissues
4 reasons to induce sows to farrow
- Staff presence to facilitate cross fostering and neonatal care
- Reduce stillbirth
- Induce straggler sows
- Increase weaining age
5 routes of induction admin
- IM neck
- Vulvomucosal
- Lateral vulvar
- Perianal
- Abdominal oblique
4 signs of impending partuition
- Secrete milk
- Nesting behavior
- Reduce feed intake
- Raised rectal temp
How long does parturition last?
~4.5hrs
Risk factors for stillborns
- Higher parity
- Fat
- Heat
- Higher birth order
5 Factors affecting litter size
- Parity
- Genetics
- Breeding management
- Previous lactation length
- Disease
4 Factors affecting birth weight
- Placentation and intrauterine space
- Genetics
- Litter size
- Gestational feeding
What occurs to mammary glands after 48hrs
Dry up if not occupied
4 key managment practices to encourage healthy piglets>
- Encourage colostrum consumption
- Provide warmth
- Reduce competition
- Proper hygiene
How long does colostrum provide protection?
primary protection 4-6weeks
What is the main Ab in colustrum
IgG
3 ways to enhance passive transfer
- Split suckle
- Hand feed
- Comercial colostrum
Why are heat lams so important with piglets?
Lack brown fat reserves
What mineral must need be administered?
Fe, sow’s milk deficient in Fe
Tail docking
- Before 3 days of age
2. Reduces tail chewing in nursery
Why do we castrate
Prevent boar taint
