Articles - Nutrition

Today sows have a milk production of 8-12 liters/day or more. The challenge of feeding the lactating sow is not new and improvement to the genetic potential of lean and prolific dam lines make this issue of critical importance for any breeding herd.

Seaweeds are rich in undigestible polysaccharides and are a potential source of soluble dietary fibers. The most abundant polysaccharides in brown seaweeds are laminarin, fucoidan and alginic acid.

Some tips to reduce feed costs on pig farms.

Vitamin D is normally produced following skin exposure to ultraviolet-B. Since most piglets (and humans too!) are raised in climate controlled housing and born year-round, direct access to sunshine is often limited, even in the summer. Fortunately, vitamin D can be added to diets to meet the animals' need for vitamin D.

Modern sows are able to produce over 70 weaned piglets during their productive live.

We should focus on actions that are in our hands to try to improve the profitability of our farms.

UTIs are among the most frequent bacterial infections in the herd but they are rarely diagnosed or taken into consideration by veterinarians.

Citric and Tartaric acids trigger an innate sour taste that is attractive to pigs while their pungency is smooth and remains unnoticed.

Production of pig meat worldwide exceeds that of any other meat. Traditionally, linear programming is used to generate minimum cost diets that to meet the pig nutrient requirements. Of greater importance to the pig producer than least cost diets is the maximisation of gross margin (per pig place or per pig place per year).

In addition to amino acid intake, proper energy intake is essential for maximizing milk production in sows. Both the amount of and type of energy can influence milk production.

Many sow farms have been increasing total born and weaning large litters with heavier pigs. With litter size continuing to improve and lactation length increasing to around 21 days, the demand for milk production must continue to increase to meet the increasing demand of heavier pigs.

The taste system senses the nutritional value of foods through the taste buds defined as clusters of taste sensory cells present in the tongue

To maximize piglet growth, it is recommended that levels of crude protein be at 20-23% in pre-starters and 18-20% in starters. However, part of that crude protein will not be digested at the end of the ileum, and it will enter the large intestine together with the endogenous waste.

The supply of wet feed, when compared to dry feed, improves the rate of growth and conversion, at least these are the results of the trials carried out in the experimental stations.