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Gestation and lactation in swine: understanding, anticipating, controlling

Understanding the challenge of gestation and lactation in swine

Stress increases energy requirements (the body’s response) and reduces consumption. When the ambient temperature exceeds its comfort zone, the sow eats less and expends more energy to regulate its body temperature. Similarly, a noisy environment and frequent handling increase stress and reduce appetite. This can exacerbate body condition loss during lactation and energy deficit.

As a result, the sow draws on its body reserves during lactation, with an increased risk of influencing reproductive parameters (return to oestrus, fertility, etc.) and reduced performance in the next litter.

High energy
demands

75%

of the sow’s nutritional requirements are devoted to lactation

During lactation, sows may experience energy deficiency. They may have to draw on their body reserves if their feed intake is insufficient.

Impact on feed
consumption

-1 kg/sow/day

– 300 g/day

in litter weight gain

+ 0.7 piglets

in the next litter

Heat stress caused by high temperatures in farrowing rooms negatively affects feed intake, yet good feed intake is necessary for milk production, litter growth and preparation for the next reproductive cycle.

Consequences
on reproduction

>2mm

loss in backfat thickness during lactation

Each additional mm:

– 0.2 piglets

in the next litter

Excessive mobilisation of reserves during lactation reduces the sow’s reproductive performance (delayed oestrus, reduced fertility and embryo survival), leading to more abortions, stillbirths, fewer live births and heterogeneous litters.

More information on gestation and lactation in swine

Why does the quality of nutrition during the current lactation influence the course of subsequent lactation?

A well-fed sow during lactation won’t use too much of its body reserves. A sow in better condition at weaning will have a shorter delay in oestrus, a better ovulation rate, and better embryo implementation and survival.

Why does stress (heat, handling, environment) aggravate the situation?

What is the impact on the quality of colostrum and piglets?

A sow with an energy deficit often produces colostrum of lower quality (lower in immunoglobulins and other nutrients) and in lower quantity. This can reduce the vitality of piglets, increase their early mortality, and affect their growth during the first days of life, thus compromising their performance throughout the rest of the rearing cycle.

What are the signs of energy deficiency in sows?

The most common signs in sows are: weight loss and lower colostrum/milk quality, late return to heat, and reduced reproductive performance in the next litter.