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• 5 minutes

The correct day of farrowing (often d117-d118) is critical when dealing with hyperprolific sows. Farrowings that progress smoothly and take place in a quiet environment, where the sow releases large amounts of colostrum and can suckle her piglets without interruption should be seen as the” ideal” and the objective for every farrowing. Special care to create this environment for first parity sows which may be particularly fearful will benefit them particularly.

• 5 minutes

The highest level of reproductive performance will be found on farms where feed intake is adjusted to the need of each individual sow. For this reason it is necessary to have a farm-specific feeding regime where the body condition of each individual sow pre-farrowing is documented and feeding adjusted accordingly on a sow by sow basis.

• 5 minutes

Recondition skinny sows during gestation

Increase the quantity of feed from d85 of gestation onwards:

this will maximise the glycogen reserves of the newly born piglets

Ensure farm-specific vaccination schemes (in collaboration with herd vet) are complied with to result in:

Stable immunity of sows as well as their piglets via colostrum-intake

Optimal embryonic development

• 5 minutes

Although there are few externally visible changes in gestating sows, it is during this time that physiological preparation is made for a successful suckling period. The following factors need to be considered.