Allen D. Leman Swine Conference 2024 Summary: Reproduction and production
Antonio Palomo summarizes the swine production and reproduction presentations from the latest Allen D. Leman Swine Conference 2024.
articles about milk in Articles
Improving colostrum quality: Can we get an extra 50% of immunoglobulin concentration in piglet serum?
Beta glucans are an excellent bioactive compounds that can help us enhance passive immunity in a profitable and practical way.
Heat stress affects the sows' reproductive cycle
From their respective academic and on-farm perspectives, Josep Gasa and Josep Casanovas comment on a recent study regarding the effect of heat stress on sows: Which weeks does it affect the farrowing rate the most? What about the weaning-to-first-service interval? Are there differences depending on parity?
Weaning without zinc oxide (1/3): Good weaning starts in the farrowing room
We spoke with Alberto Garcia (Inga Food SA, Spain) and Chretien Gielen (De Varkenspraktijk, The Netherlands), to discuss aspects related to weaning management and conditions.
Milk supplementation in the farrowing room: an alternative strategy with hyperprolific sows?
A much higher percentage of piglets prefer milk supplement over creep feed. Here are the results of the latest studies on this subject.
Reducing the stress of weaning: is pre-weaning socialisation of piglets a strategy to consider?
Does co-mingling during lactation benefit piglets in the long term? See how socialisation influences pigs behaviour and physiology.
Practical fostering: a key step in maximizing the quantity and quality of pigs weaned
Put more piglets on than teats? When to start fostering? Am I cross fostering piglets too many times?
Gilt backfat thickness in late pregnancy, mammary development and piglet growth
Do gilts with greater backfat thickness produce more milk?
The immune system and immunity in swine: maternal and neonatal immunity
This article discuss about the protection of the placenta, the colostrum, the immunity conferred by milk and the congenital acquired immunity of the piglet.
Milk replacements
The use of milk replacers is helpful, both to increase the number of weaned piglets and to simplify the management of nurse sows.
Supplementing water to lactating sows
There are different systems for carrying out this water delivery. Probably, the most common one is with a hose, but sometimes, the sows' troughs are not facing the corridor but the wall.
Transfers of piglets until the 3rd-4th day after their birth (II)
How to make that the sows start their lactation with the maximum number of viable piglets.
Transfers of piglets until the 3rd-4th day after their birth
When there are not enough teats, the strongest piglet always occupies the place of the weak one, that is left without milk to suckle.
Non-use of a teat in first lactation will lower its milk yield in second lactation
These findings provide useful information that will assist swine producers in deciding whether or not to reduce litter size in first-parity sows.
How do we level litters after delivery? (II) To count or not to count teats, that is the question
In the previous chapter we saw how level litters by size. Now we will see how to do it by number.
When should we level out litters?
With the high prolificacy of sows nowadays, leveling out litters is one of the most hands-on jobs on the farms of today. It is one of the first steps to start lactation successfully.