Track Age, Weight to Boost Sow Lifetime Performance: The relationship between growth and sow longevity is difficult to resolve

摘要

Gilt development programs are often complex and conflicting because the research does not conclusively reveal the impact of gilt growth on lifetime sow productivity. Genetics play a big role in growth rate, body composition, age and age at first mating. But University of Minnesota-Morris Extension swine researcher Lee Johnston perplexes over the specific role of growth rate during the grow-finish period on subsequent reproductive performance of sows. Some researchers report that small increases in growth rate (under 1 Ib. up to just over 1 Ib.) in gilts from birth to 220 Ib. can add between 0.3 and 0.4 pigs born live in Parities 2-5, but the data does not report effects of growth rate on lifetime performance of females. Other studies report no effect or a negative impact of growth rate on sow performance.