Purdue Pork Page Archive

1) Farrowing rate problems in your new SEW facilities?

• Many producers that build new SEW facilities or producers that convert old facilities and increase herd size are experiencing farrowing rates 10 to 30% below expectations.

2) Is the reduction caused by reproductive diseases?

• If so, you can expect to observe abortions, sick sows, premature births, increases in stillborn pigs, vaginal discharges and mummified fetuses. All or some of these signs can be seen visibly or in your records.

3) Is the reduction caused by increased use of AI or due to breeding management?

• Check your records (no producer should be using SEW technology without records). If the farrowing rate of gilts is normal, then the problem is not breeding failure.

4) Is the cause due to improper nutrition of the breeding herd?

• Check body condition of the gilts and weaned sows. If body condition is good- not too fat or too thin, then the problem is not energy intake. Be sure you are using quality ingredients. Be sure your corn is mold free.

• Check the wean-to-estrus interval in your records. If you are feeding your lactating sows properly and have the correct amount of lysine (~55gm\day\sow), the wean-to-estrus interval will average <6 days.

5) Is the cause early weaning (average 13-15 days, range 10 to 18 days)?

• Yes, farrowing rate and littersize are both reduced by early weaning. This effect is particularly evident in parity 1 and 2 females in the summer months and can be exacerbated by breeding gilts at first estrus or younger than 200 days of age. Generally, in start up herds or facility conversions, young females make up a large proportion of the herd. Thus, early weaning has a profound effect on farrowing rate\litter size and herd performance in general. As a response to the poor performance, producers fire people, do extensive diagnostic work, give up on AI, change genetics, change nutrition or feed sources and grasp at straws and other sources of Foo Foo dust.

6) What should you do?

• Realize that reduced reproductive performance is expected in start up SEW facilities. Do not plan for the same reproductive performance as you achieved with your old herd until your herd matures. Assure yourself that the cause of your problem does not involve any of the above 4 listed categories. Then:
   
• a) consider skipping the first estrus after weaning for all parity 1 females; this requires 2 additional groups of gilts,
• b) consider injecting all females with Vit A palmitate at weaning, and
• c) consider injecting all parity 1 and thin parity 2 females with PG-600 at weaning.
• Do at least a and b or b and c until your herd has matured (reached an average parity of 3.0).

Purdue Pork page Archive