The countdown is on. You have about 43 weeks to set your gilts up for success. From the minute they step onto the farm, you invest in their growth, development and health. From vaccinations to feed, gilts don’t make the farm any money during this time, they cost money.
Because sows don’t pay for themselves until they reach their third parity, losing a first-time sow in the farrowing house is a major loss, Mandy Dutton, senior production manager for Professional Swine Management, said at the Annual Swine Conference.
That’s why Dutton focuses extra time and attention to the first five days post-farrowing and protecting that 43-week investment.
The “Head-to-Head” Strategy
When Dutton loads her farrowing rooms, she says almost all of the barns have rows A, B, C and D.
“We load all of our gilts in rows B and C so they are head-to-head right when you walk in,” she says. “We do this is because they need the most attention.”
These gilts are hand-fed every morning until they farrow, receiving three to four inches of water poured directly on top of their feed.
“Remember, a lot of these gilts have never seen a water nipple,” Dutton points out. “In the gilt development unit (GDU), they had water bowls; in gestation, they had troughs. If we don’t hand-water them, they will dehydrate before they even farrow.”
The 24-Hour Check
Dutton says the next thing her team focuses on is getting a temperature of each female recorded within 24 hours of farrowing.
“The first thing that happens when you’re getting a cold or getting the flu is that you often get a fever,” she explains. “We want to catch those temperatures over 103 degrees Fahrenheit as quickly as possible so we can start treatments right away.”
If she does have a fever, it’s time to pay special attention to the sows 12 to 24 hours after the fever is recorded to know if she is slipping.
Identifying At-Risk Sows After Farrowing
Attention to detail and a quick response is required during this important time of the sow’s life.
“If the sow isn’t up, eating, drinking and laying comfortably on her side to nurse within 24 to 48 hours, there is a strong possibility you will lose her and the litter,” Dutton says.
Watch for these signs to identify at-risk sows after farrowing:
- Fever
- Off feed
- A dry, dusty nose or a dusty, unused water nipple
- Head tucked under the feeder
- Lying flat on her belly (refusing to let piglets nurse)
- Red, hot, swollen underline (mastitis)
- Piglets falling off, thin, with empty bellies
The Five-Minute Miracle
Getting the sow up for a 5-minute walk is critical at this point.
“Think of human childbirth. What is the very first thing a doctor wants a mother to do before she is allowed to leave the hospital? Eat, drink, urinate and defecate,” Dutton says. “We want the exact same thing for our sow. Her body needs to start working again.”
One of the most important things the caretaker should do is walk slowly with the sow.
“Let her set the pace,” Dutton says. “Do not force her.”
While one person walks her “the long way” around the farrowing room, the other records her progress. Did she urinate? Did she defecate?
When the slow, long walk is over and she returns to the crate, make sure she eats and drinks. Dutton recommends physically holding the water nipple down so the sow sees and hears the water, and let her figure it out.
The Payoff of Fostering
For a first-time sow, it is crucial to fill the female up to functional teat count to get the mammary glands functioning.
This may mean fostering is necessary. “If she has 16 teats, we must put 16 pigs on her,” Dutton says.
Although many farmers put fewer piglets on a first-timer, she believes it’s critical to “train” the gilt’s mammary lines to milk.
“If we don’t use them now, they won’t work well in her later parities,” she says. “Take old sows and put fewer pigs on them or skip-cycle them if you must, but fill the first-time sow’s teats!”
When this process works, Dutton says success looks like happy, full-bellied piglets lined along the sow who’s resting comfortably on her side and actively milking her litter.
“Taking time up front saves time in the end,” she says. “Doing it right the first time is the only way to win.”
