Written by Clara Nyegaard-Signori, SEGES, Livestock Innovation
Abstract
The longevity of sows is a highly important trait for pig producers all around the world who aim for healthy and strong animals with a high lifetime performance. Longevity always starts with the young sows, and here, stocking density, management, feeding and overall health are the most important factors!
DanBred gilts already have a very large potential for daily growth, feed utilisation and lean meat content, which are all very important traits when looking at sow longevity. In addition to that, feeding, management and mating can also have a huge impact on good sow longevity as well as the sows’ ability to wean the piglets – and we have specific, practical recommendations for this.
Why is sow longevity so important?
Sometimes, sows are culled before their production potential is fully exploited. Consequently, the investment in gilts does not yield the expected returns in lifetime production.
It is important to remember that sows are living animals and several requirements to temperature, treatments and housing conditions must be met to ensure optimal productivity and performance. In practice, many challenges can be overcome with the correct management routines that accommodate animal welfare and ensure an immediate response to the concerns. In addition, the animals must be fed correctly both in quantity, quality and composition to maintain a high health and performance.
Sow longevity can be improved for example by increasing awareness of the proper prevention of gastric ulcers, as this condition has a severe impact on sow productivity and survivability [1]. Gastric ulcers are caused by gastric acid damaging the stomach. Though the reasons for the development of gastric ulcers are not fully established, research indicates that the texture and composition of the feed play a major role [2].
How to prevent gastric ulcers in sows
Through trials and practical experience, we have found several approaches that can help prevent the development of gastric ulcers.
The first step is to look at the feed composition. Traditional Danish sow feed with a good composition to promote gut health, is generally based on 75 % grains, 15 % soybean meal, 5 % sugar beet pulp, wheat bran or other fibre rich raw material, as well as 5 % minerals and vitamins according to the nutrient standards. The grain part of the feed consists of wheat and/or barley and sometimes small quantities of oats and rye.
The second step is to look at grinding. The advice to maintain high-health stomachs is to use a more coarsely ground feed and avoid finely ground pellets. Our recommendations depend on the type of mill as well as the method used to strain the feed.
Table 1: Recommended distribution of particle sizes based on typical Danish own produced feed made of grain and soy meal
| Group | Type of mill | Particles below 1 mm volume percent | Particles below 1 mm weight percent |
| Sows and gilts | Hammer mill | Max. 50 % | Max. 50 % |
| Sows and gilts | Roller mill | Max. 50 % | Max. 60 % |
The third step is to look at the number of daily feedings – instead of giving the sow free access to feed, our recommendation is to divide the daily ration into at least two daily feedings. The reason is that ad libitum feeding has shown to have a negative impact on gastric health.
Additionally, studies have found that providing straw and/or rolled cereal help prevent oesophago-gastric ulcers and gastric lesions [5] [6] [7]. Another study by SEGES found that a daily supply of 10-300 grams of straw to the pigs helps reduce the occurrence of gastric ulcers [8]. Other rich fibre raw materials are believed to have a similarly positive effect.
Careful attention when managing and feeding the DanBred sows will promote health and longevity, which is a prime starting point on the road to release the genetic potential for consistently high lifetime productivity.
References
[1] Landbrug og Fødevarer (n.d.a): Danmark har et af EU’s højeste niveauer af grisevelfærd – flere forbedringer på vej i 2018. Danmark har et af EU’s højeste niveauer af grisevelfærd – flere forbedringer på vej i 2018.
[2] Landbrug og Fødevarer (n.d.b): Stomach ulcers. Stomach ulcers (agricultureandfood.co.uk)
[3] Kristensen, C. S., Tolstrup, L., Pedersen, K., Haugegaard, S., Sønderholm, A., Hansen, C. F. (2020): National screening af mavesår hos søer. SEGES.
[4] Miljø- og Fødevareministeriet (2015): Evaluering af handlingsplan for bedre dyrevelfærd for svin.
[5] Di Martino, G., Capello, K., Scollo, A., Gottardo, F., Stefani, A. L., Rampin, F., Schiavon, E., Marangon, S., Bonfanti, L. (2013): Continuous straw provision reduces prevalence of oesophago-gastric ulcer in pigs slaughtered at 170 kg (heavy pigs). Research in Veterinary Science, 95: 1271-1273.
[6] Jensen, K. H., Jørgensen, L., Haugegaard, S., Herskin, M. S., Jensen, M. B., Pedersen, L. J., Canibe, N. (2017): The dose-response relationship between the amount of straw provided on the floor and gastric ulceration of pars oesophagea in growing pigs. Research in Veterinary Science, 112: 66-74.
[7] Nielsen, E. K. and Ingvartsen, K. L. (2000): Effects of cereal disintegration method, feeding method and straw as bedding on stomach characteristics including ulcers and performance in growing pigs. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A – Animal Science, 50(1): 30-38.
[8] Jørgensen, L., Pedersen, L. J., Herskin, M. S., Hansen, L. H. B., Jensen, K. H. (2015): Halms effekt på mavesår hos slagtesvin. SEGES.
