Page 3 of articles about gestation in Articles

In practice there aren’t any direct methods to measure lean reserves in the field. On an experimental level, generally, ultrasound machines are used to measure the loin thickness (LT) as an indicator of lean reserves (just as the dorsal fat measure, DFM, is taken as an indicator of fat reserves)

This may be a good option when farrowings and litter control during the first days are the priority.

On small farms it is better to group tasks on specific days, leaving other days with less tasks in order to organize days off...

The ideal mating guideline should follow 2 objectives: At least one mating should be adjusted to meet the ideal time and achieve the first objective with the least number of matings.

It isn’t easy to compile a bibliography referring to this subject matter in specific cases; one has to search for it among the footnotes of other, more general works. The aim of this article is to sum up aspects of feeding that can be important at the time of farrowing.

The optimal fertilization of a sow depends on several factors, among them, mating in a specific moment of the oestrus.

During the last 10 years we have been trying to optimize the different Batch Management systems (BM), searching for the most effective system. We had come to the conclusion that each one of the different traditional BM options had their pros and cons, and neither is better or worse than the other. Electing the best system depends on the necessities and the calibration of space on each particular farm. However, we have recently “discovered” a new BM option that opens the door to new possibilities.

Let us assume that the expected farrowing rate and live-born litter sizes are 90% and 12.5, respectively, but that current performance is 82% and 11.3, respectively. This means that too many sows are bred but failing to farrow and those that farrow are having fewer pigs.

Do you want to evaluate your knowledge of maternity welfare? Just take this new test!

The gestation period in the majority of sows is usually around 113 to 115 days. However, a percentage of sows can farrow normally up to 3 days before or after.

Do the accommodation conditions for your gestating sows in group comply with the welfare normatives? Find out with the new test on welfare.

In previous chapters we have looked at the importance of maintaining the ideal parity profile within each batch.

This month we are setting you a new test, in this case on the welfare of sows accommodated in stalls during gestation.

One of the main goals for a sow herd is to achieve a correct homogeneity of the productive batches.

A new instalment of the test on animal welfare in swine herds. This test evaluates your knowledge on the welfare of gestating sows allotted in groups.

The Danish pig producers’ research organisation has tested a number of different designs. They recommend pen dimensions of 2.7x1.8 m to accommodate modern prolific breeds.