A simple nurse sow strategy is valuable to improve piglet survival in your herd. The DanBred Hybrid delivers large litters of robust piglets together with great mothering abilities, enabling her to produce a high number of weaned piglets. By having a clear management strategy for using nurse sows, it is actually quite simple, and you can maintain a high piglet survival rate in your farm.
It is valuable to use nurse sows to help improve piglet survival by ensuring that all piglets have access to sow milk. Choosing the right strategy will make a big difference in the success rates and productivity of the nurse sows.
DanBred has two recommended strategies for nurse sows, which are illustrated in this figure:
One-step: A sow weans her own litter after at least 21 days and is then assigned a new litter of newborn piglets. She nurses them for another 21 days, extending her total lactation period to at least 42 days.
Two-step: A sow (Nurse 1) weans her own litter and receives piglets that are 4–7 days old from another sow (Nurse 2). Nurse 2, in turn, receives newborn piglets. This allows for a better match between sow milk production and piglet age.
Which strategy is best?
We recommend using two-step nurse sows, because this strategy provides the best balance between the sow’s milk yield and the piglet’s needs. This is also indicated in scientific trials, and underlines that there is a stronger tendency to increase piglet survival compared to a one-step nurse sow.
The two-step strategy will also ensure a more optimal lactation period compared to the one-step, where a very long lactation period has the risk of affecting the body condition of the sow and subsequent reproductions.
A two-step nurse will overall have a more productive cycle, as you use sows to maximise the potential of their good milk yield and mothering abilities while also weaning many piglets.
Sow selection matters
Selecting the right sows is critical to keep animal welfare and productivity as key targets. Young sows (parity 1 or 2) are often preferred as nurse sows, because of their better udder structure that ensures easy access for the piglets and better body control, which reduces the risk of crushing piglets. However, younger sows may also produce less milk, and piglets reared by first-parity sows tend to have slightly lower weaning weights than those reared by older sows.
Generally speaking, it is important that nurse sows are in good body condition and healthy to avoid backfat loss and the risk of shoulder lesions during extended lactation.
Choosing the right sow is all about making sure that milk is available for all piglets, and matching piglets with the right sow. Individual evaluation is key to success.
Better results with uniform piglets
To get the optimal results for survival and growth, piglets fostered with a nurse sow should be as similar in size and weight as possible. Uniform litters can reduce the competition between piglets and improve nursing success at the sow’s udder. Especially small piglets mixed with larger piglets tend to have a higher risk of dying and lower weaning weights.
Feeding is key to fertile nurse sows
Contrary to earlier concerns, using sows as nurse sows does not harm their fertility. While some sows may experience lactational oestrus, careful feed management can reduce this risk. You can find the correct feeding guidelines for sows in the DanBred manuals here.
Studies also show that subsequent litter size is equal or even slightly higher in nurse sows compared to normal lactating sows.
Caring for more piglets
The DanBred Hybrid is known for her good mothering abilities and her ability to care for a high number of piglets. She is bred for greater litter weight gain, which means that her litters will have a higher total weight at the time of weaning, with heavier piglets or more piglets weaned per litter, positively affecting survival rates after weaning.
With a clear management strategy for nurse sows you will succeed in more weaned pigs per sow per year. But also improved piglet survival supporting animal welfare and maintaining a high level of sow productivity at your farm.
Consider using the two-step nurse sow strategy to improve piglet survival and ensure consistent litter growth. Choose healthy sows with good body condition, and foster piglets in uniform litters. When done right, using nurse sows does not compromise future reproduction.
