Progesterone in the uterus blocks milk production. Only when the birth process is complete and the after-births have been delivered does this blocker stop.
Prolactin is important, especially in the last third of gestation, for proper udder-development. Furthermore prolactin is the main milk-promoting hormone during lactation.
Be aware of endotoxins and inflammations in the sow! Endotoxins i.e E.coli endotoxins and inflammatory processes inhibit these milk-hormones.
The regulation of organ-development, as well as the performance of specific organs follows a certain nutritional cascade.
Up to 40 milking bouts per day!
Natural protective agents in the sow’s mature milk are active in the piglet’s intestines.
• No milk-no protective agents! ►pathogens readily multiply in the intestines
• Hourly milk-take is a prerequisite for a healthy gut and a healthy piglet
Milk production is at peak level on day 18 +/- 1 of lactation where up to about 16 litres/day is produced depending on:
Litter size and vitality of the suckling pigs
Genetic potential
Health status
Peter Davies
While the advice below is generally applicable there may be exceptions, particularly for vaccines that are not delivered intramuscularly.
Avoid vaccination during the first 10 days of life*: Energy-intake may be impaired because pigs that are vaccinated need more time before they resume sucking the sow again.
Ingelheim/Germany, 09 February, 2017 – For the tenth time, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has funded independent European research projects related to Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) infection and associated diseases. Over the past ten years, 29 research projects have been awarded with € 25,000.
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