The protective agents released during the entire lactation remain active in the piglets’ intestines.
A rapid and straight forward birth process helps the production of normal lactation milk.
The amount of milk produced by the sow depends in some part on the vitality and number of piglets:
Only strong, active piglets suckling the udder stimulate milk production of the sow
Well timed and consistent milk intake by the piglets is important in maintaining the whole lactation of the sow.
Udder development and colostrum production starts during late gestation but before the birth process has started.
The amount of colostrum that is produced depends on genetic and hormonal factors as well as body condition. The intrinsic quality of colostrum is also influenced by stress.
Correct water and feed supply to the sow in the last third of gestation is essential for optimal colostrum production.
1. Colostrum phase
On average sows produce about 5 litres of colostum, where every piglet needs 250 ml each
Colostrum is released within 15 hours of the birth-process starting
Animal welfare is becoming an extremely important consideration in pig rearing. The safety of vaccines is an important factor in this. Stressful treatments have negative impact on weight gain. Careful observation is essential and can make all the difference:
Date: November 7th to 9th 2017 Place: De Moines, Iowa (USA)
Ingelheim, Germany, 26 September 2018 – The winners of the 2018 European PRRS Research Award have been announced at this year’s international swine veterinary assembly by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health in Lisbon, Portugal.
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