Increased productivity

DanBred's 5 quick tips for gilts

To ensure that your gilts achieve optimal strength and fertility, we would like to share some of DanBred’s best recommendations for feeding gilts.

1.

Gilts above 100 kg

must get feed with a maximum of 4.5 g of digestible lysine to promote the deposition of backfat: a gestation diet may be the right solution for this.

Finisher pig diets and lactation diets contain far too much protein for modern gilts, which can have major consequences for longevity and reproduction.

Gilts with low backfat can show slight or no heat after synchronisation, even though synchronisation is performed correctly.

2.

Gilts must be fed restrictively

to limit the daily growth and ensure a greater fat deposition - we recommend using either long troughs or floor feeding on a large area.

Where restrictive feeding is not possible, low-protein feed is all the more important.

If the gilts do not have at least 11-12 mm of backfat upon arrival at the service unit, they should be flushed throughout the period from the first heat to the mating in the second heat. If they have 12-13 mm backfat or more, 5-7 days of flushing is enough.

3.

Gilts that have been standing

further away from the outlet at the liquid feed trough may have had a lower feed intake, which affects the fat deposition.

The lean gilts should be fed 3.1-3.3 kg/day from around 100 kg, and get a diet with a low protein level – to ensure optimal fat deposit before they are moved to the service unit.

The same can apply to gilts at the bottom of the hierarchy when using floor feeding.

If your gilts have become too thin (less than 12 mm of backfat), they can benefit from flushing during the period you are synchronising - it will give a stronger heat for the thinnest gilts - until your gilts come back to the correct backfat measurement. When your gilts are back to the correct backfat measurement (more than 12 mm), you can just flush from synchronisation stop.

4.

Large and fat gilts can be mated

at a younger age, sometimes as young as 30 weekes, as weight means more to litter size than age.

It can affect the longevity, if they reach 170-180 kg or 37-38 weeks before first service.

5.

Review your vaccination and relocation strategy for the gilts.

Do you have time to get them immunised and moved at the right age?

You can save the costs of feed, if you can reduce the age and weight of the sows at mating.

DanBred is happy to advise you on the right strategy in collaboration with the multiplication.

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