Ideal body-conditioned sows are desired because they will maximize herd performance and have a greater chance to complete 3 parities compared to thin or fat sows. A sow feeding program needs to be implemented gradually and smoothly to avoid sudden changes in body condition during gestation.
Access PIC’s sow feeding program implementation tool here.
The PIC nutrition and reproduction teams focus on five main steps to execute a successful sow feeding program.
Sow Body Condition Score
PIC recommends obtaining body condition measurements using calipers at these four time points:
- Weaning
- Pregnancy check (~30 days)
- 90 days if individually housed
- If group-housed, visual observation at 90 days
- Farrowing
Sow body condition score assessment is ideally done with two people: One to assess and mark and the other to adjust sow feeders and record data. Try to do this in the morning once feed is dropped and the sows stand.
Breeding Choices and Quality Control
Body condition management starts at the first breeding. To start these gilts off strong, ensure gilts meet the following four criteria before breeding:
- Age at puberty: 1+ recorded heat by 195 days of age
- Number of estrus at first breeding: Breed gilts on at least 2nd detected estrus
- Age at first breeding: Breed gilts between 200-225 d of age
- Body weight at first breeding: Breed gilts between 135-160 kg body weight
- PIC does not recommend the use of calipers on gilts prior to their first farrowing. Instead, try a flank-to-flank tape or a heart-girth tape.
PIC does not recommend categorizing and feeding gilts by body condition.
If sows are extremely thin (below the thin level) at weaning or rebreeding, consider not breeding them. If they are P3 or below, consider skipping a heat. If breeding sows are extremely fat (over the caliper fat label) at weaning or rebreeding, review their performance records to identify reproductive issues. Consider not breeding them if they are P5+ and are not needed to meet breeding targets.
Weaning and Breeding Row Organization
- When moving sows out of farrowing to the weaning area, group P1 and thin sows to facilitate:
- Wean to service interval
- Boar exposure
- Sow feeder adjustment
- When moving weaned sows to breeding, or bred sows to gestation, group sows by body condition score to facilitate (this is valid for individual and group-housed sows):
- Subsequent sow body condition score assessment
- Feeding time stress
- Body condition recovery of thin females
Sow Feeder Adjustment and Calibration
Adjust feeding levels immediately after body condition assessment.
- Adjust feed box settings at the same time the caliper is used per nutritionists’ recommendations.
- Visit PIC’s recommendations on feeding levels for body condition management.
- Improper feeder adjustment is one of the most common opportunities at farms.
- ESF should modify the feeding curve in the system.
Adjust feeding levels immediately after body condition assessment.
- Adjust feed box settings at the same time the caliper is used per nutritionists’ recommendations.
- Visit PIC’s recommendations on feeding levels for body condition management.
- Improper sow feeder adjustment is one of the most common opportunities at farms.
- Sow farms with electronic sow feeding (ESF) should modify the feeding curve in the system.
- Organizing your breeding row based on body condition will help with weekly execution of sow feeder adjustments.
- Routinely adjust feed boxes properly and allocate correct amount of feed by body condition.
- Never feed gilts below the PIC recommended base level regardless of their body weight at breeding.
Record Sow Body Condition Data
- Record all body condition data, and clearly mark sows based on the observed body condition.
- Make and execute the schedule to reassess the thin sows, and once their body condition has recovered to ideal, feed them at the base level.
Please note: Although body condition management is the best way to implement a successful sow feeding program, it will take at least one full cycle through the farrowing house to bring the herd into ideal condition.
Ready to get started? Access PIC’s sow feeding program implementation tool and other tools here.
