Feeding Management Tips During Gestation

摘要

Draper feeding management of gestation sows is crucial to the success of breeding, breed-to-wean and farrow-to-fmish operations. You may not be responsible for formulating diets, but if you're responsible for the sows' daily care you play an importantrole in ensuring a successful feeding program. Monitoring feed costs and economics is always important, but it's especially critical with todays volatile prices. Typically, feed accounts for two-thirds to three-fourths of the total cost of producing a market hog. Each sow will consume about 1 ton of feed, 60 percent or more of which is eaten during gestation. So, overfeeding sows can become costly quickly. However, it's important that sows receive enough feed to ensure adequate nutrient intake required for their maintenance and growth, for mammary development and the developing litter's growth. Feeding correct levels of a properly formulated gestation diet will ensure that those nutrient needs are met.