LESSON 6 IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION: FARROWING AND LACTATION

MANAGEMENT
PART I: GESTATION AND FARROWING PERIOD
This chapter discusses the preparations that you should do before sows undergo farrowing. This
chapter also guides you on how to assists sows during farrowing; gives a guide on the nutritional
needs of sows; and how to manage lactating sows.

Farrowing and lactation are the most challenging and critical periods in a sow's life. During
farrowing, the sow does not only give birth to one but up to more than a dozen piglets. The sheer
number of offsprings and length of delivery can exhaust the sow's energy. Then, after giving
birth, the sow needs to produce sufficient milk to sustain all her piglets. In a nut shell, the sow
needs the support of the swine farmer for a successful farrowing.
Gestation Period and Preparations for Farrowing
Gestation period is the term used for the pregnancy period of domestic -animals. In pigs, it
averages 114 days (or three months, three weeks and three days), with a usual range of 110 to
118 days. Aside from good breeding practices, proper management of the pregnant sow or gilt is
also necessary to ensure the birth of a large number of healthy piglets.
The sow can be assumed pregnant if it does not become in heat in 21 to 42 days after breeding.
In large scale operations, the monitoring for signs of heat or pregnancy is replaced by the use of
pregnancy detector machines which are highly accurate. Recording must be done properly in
order to document the activities and results of pregnancy monitoring.
Early pregnancy detection is imperative to achieve efficiency in the whole operation. Aside from
allowing early re-breeding of non-pregnant sows or earlier culling of infertile females, other
advantages can be derived. Sows with closely expected farrowing dates can be known, and
preparations for their farrowing and weaning schedules can be made. The use of resources,
including facilities and human resources, can be optimized.
Pregnant sows and gilts need extra care and attention. Apart from giving them proper nutrition, a
comfortable environment must be provided. Any form of stress must be avoided (including
vaccination) especially during the first trimester (first five weeks) of pregnancy.

TRIVIA!
Keep the feed intake of gilts or sows in check for a more successful farrowing. Do not allow the
sows from becoming too fat by regulating their feed intake after breeding. Obesity of pregnant
sows could lead to a lesser number of piglets or offsprings. Obese pregnant sows could also
suffer from farrowing complications.

WORD BANK
palpate - to examine a part of the body by touching it
hemorrhage - a medical condition in which an animal or person bleeds too much and
uncontrollably

Signs of Farrowing
Observe the sow or gilt as the farrowing time approaches. Presence of milk in the teats is an
indication that the sow or gilt is expected to farrow within 24 hours. However, some sows or
gilts may produce milk one week prior to the expected parturition. Another best sign is the
presence of meconium (the first fecal) from the piglets. This indicates that the sow will farrow
within 15 to 30 minutes.
Here are other signs of farrowing:
 nest making
 nudging of hurdles, walls, and flooring,
 biting of hurdles and guard rails
 sitting dog position
 enlargement of the udder enlargement and swelling of vulva
 small, round-sized manure and frequent urination. milk let-down (indicates the sow will
farrow within 24 hours)
 mucous discharge with meconium (the sow will farrow 15 to 30 minutes.)
 signs of labor
Feeding Management for Gestating Sows
Proper feeding management is one of the most important factors in the survival of piglets during
pregnancy. Do not overfed or underfed a pregnant sow because this will negatively affect the
reproductive performance of the animal. Fat sows are prone to farrowing complications, such as
a narrow and inelastic vagina and weak uterine contraction. These complications can result to
stillborn piglets.

Preparations for Farrowing

Approximately two weeks before the expected farrowing, the pregnant sows are often transferred
from the breeding or gestating house to the farrowing house or pen. Before you transfer the sows,
bathe the sows to remove all the dirt and parasites on the surfaces of their bodies. You should
also clean and disinfect the farrowing pen.
You should ready the provisions for artificial lighting and supplemental heat (heat lamps, gas
brooder, floor heater, or brooder box). You should also discuss the materials for newborn piglet
processing (to be discussed in chapter 4), as well as antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or anti-
hemorrhagic injectable drugs for sows that may encounter dystocia (difficulty in farrowing).
Before the sows or gilts are transferred in the farrowing pen, you should first clean and disinfect
the pen.

Assistance Activities for Farrowing Sows

Farrowing time varies from one to a few hours, and the interval between farrowed piglets is
normally less than 15 minutes. The usual position of the farrowing sow is lying on its side. If the
sow lies on its belly, then make the sow return to side position to prevent the expulsion of
piglets. Movements such as stretching and kicking by the sow are normal.
Assist the sow when it exhibits restlessness, excessive straining, and when the piglet interval
reaches more than 30 minutes. Consult a veterinarian in cases of dystocia or difficulty in
farrowing.
Assistance often means palpation of the birth canal in order to check for an over-sized piglet or
two piglets coming out together at the same time.. Before palpation, thoroughly clean the sow's
vulva and its surroundings. Wash your hands and apply a lubricant. (Check your fingernails;
make sure they are trimmed.) Insert your hand into the vagina, move it slowly inward, advancing
it after every contraction by the sow. When your hand reaches the uterus, you may start to
palpate a piglet. Hold it by the head or hindlegs, and slowly pull outward.
If no piglet can be palpated, then giving of oxytocin can be done. Oxytocin is the hormone
involved in inducing uterine contraction and milk letdown. Old sows (those that had six or more
farrowings) more commonly need oxytocin than young ones. The suckling action of the first few
piglets on the sow's teats will also increase the level of oxytocin naturally. Thus, assist the first
piglets to suckle milk from the sow.
The usual position of the farrowing sow is lying on its side. Assist the sow in giving birth if it
exhibits restlessness, excessive straining, and when the piglet interval reaches more than 30
minutes.

Stillbirths
Stillbirth means a fully-formed piglet was born dead. Stillbirths must comprise only five percent
to seven percent of total births. Suffocation, the usual cause of stillbirths, can be prevented.
Stillbirth happens when the placenta becomes detached or the umbilical cord breaks before
delivery, thus depriving the piglet of oxygen.
The important considerations to remember to avoid stillbirths are the following: the temperature
in the farrowing pen should not be too warm; the length of farrowing time (a longer farrowing
time increases the risk of more stillbirths); and provide oxytocin only when needed.
Stillbirths do not include piglets that came out alive and were able to breathe air but died after a
few moments. In the lung floatation test, the lungs of piglets, which died immediately after birth,
float in water because of the presence of oxygen. In cases of real stillbirths, the lungs do not
float.
Some sows may also experience excessive bleeding. In this case, Vitamin K (phytomenadione)
may be injected to the sows. The use of ice packs may also stop minor bleeding.

Management of Sow and Gilt after Artificial Insemination

Early heat detection after insemination will guide you whether you will cull or rebreed the gilt or
sow if it does not become pregnant. A fertility test will also inform you if your sow has
reproductive and physiological problems. It will also allow you to group the number of pregnant
sows that will farrow on the same date.
You should prevent sows or gilts from fighting with each other and avoid rough handling the
animals especially during the first three to four weeks of pregnancy as this is the period when
conception and early embryo development occurs. You should also give sows or gilts a bath
during hot days.
Only 10 to 12 active, qualified, and fertilizable sperm cells are needed to produce a full litter of
piglets. If you are going to perform artificial insemination on sows or gilts, then just use one dose
of swine semen (in a bottle). A dose of swine semen contains three to four billion sperm cells,
more than enough to inseminate a sow or gilt. However, a second dose of semen can also be
given 12 hours after the last insemination to ensure that the sow will get pregnant.
Perform Heat Detection After Artificial Insemination
Twelve hours after the last insemination, you should check the sow or gilt for signs of standing
heat by applying back pressure. If a sow or gilt receives the first dose of semen and is no longer
in standing heat after 12 hours, chances are great that the timing is perfect. However, if the
animal is still in standing heat 24 hours after giving it a second dose of semen, then you probably
inseminated it too early and the chances of conception is reduced.

Methods of Pregnancy Diagnosis

A swine raiser can also determine if the inseminated sow or gilt is pregnant by checking if the
the animal has exhibited estrus in 18 to 24 days up to 38 to 42 days after insemination. If the
animal does not show any signs of estrus during this period, then expect that the sow or gilt is
already pregnant.

Here are other ways to determine pregnancy:

 Use of records or calendar method (first heat check: 18-24 days; second heat check:38-42
days)
 Ultrasound-doppler tests
 Use of scanner
 Observation of external body parts, such as teats, mammary gland, and abdomen
 Palpation
 Hormone analysis and vaginal biopsy
PART II: LACTATION PERIOD
Lactation period is the period from farrowing until weaning, when the piglets suckle milk from
the sow. It can range from 28 to 42 days, farrowing until weaning, when the although a shorter
period is preferred to maximize a sow's productivity. The first week of lactation is critical
because the sow and piglets are more vulnerable to diseases and need more attention and care.
The sow's adequate daily intake of water (8 to 10 gallons) is essential in producing milk.
Regularly check the nipple drinker or waterer for availability of water. Feed intake is negatively
affected if water intake is inadequate. The feed allowance of the sow depends on the size of its
litter. Aside from the usual 2.5 kg of feeds for the sow's requirements, allot 0.25 kg additional
feed per piglet if the feed is nutrient-dense, or 0.33 kg feed per piglet if the feed is of low nutrient
density. Some commercial feeds have very high nutrient density that they can be given in fewer
amounts. During a hot weather, when the sow's appetite decreases, the use of high nutrient
density feed is recommended.

It is important to note that the amount of feed given to the sow from the day of farrowing must
start from 0.5 kg on farrowing day and gradually increased by 0.5 kg of feed per day until the
total requirement is met. Gradual increase in feed amount is practiced in order to prevent drastic
increase in milk production by the sow, which can lead to scouring in the piglets or mastitis
(inflammation of the mammary glands of the sow). Ad libitum feeding for the sow is often
practiced when the piglets are already seven days old. This means that feed is made available at
all times to the sow.
The frequency of feeding for the sow is higher during the lactation period than the gestation
period. Instead of a twice-a-day feeding for the gestating sow, feed the lactating sow four times a
day. The schedule of feeding should be early in the morning and late in the afternoon and
evening (5 am, 8 am, 5 pm, and 8 pm).
Moreover, depending on the health program of the farm, the injection of antibiotics and vitamin-
mineral supplements can be made a few days after farrowing, even without dystocia or difficulty
in farrowing.

Ways to Increase the Appetite of Lactating Sows

After giving birth, some sows cannot consume the recommended food intake during the lactation
period. Here are some ways on how to increase the appetite of lactating sows.
 Keep the pig pens cool and well-ventilated.
 Feed the lactating sows more than twice a day.
 Use the slop or wet feeding method. However, make sure to dispose stale or soured feeds.
 Use feeds that have high nutrient density.
 Keep water sources cool. Provide a sufficient supply of water for the lactating sows.
 Always clean the feeding trough of lactating sows.

Management of Newborn Piglets

 Remove the placental membrane- Piglets, covered by placental membrane are born
either hind feet first or head first. You should remove the placental membrane using a
clean cloth; start from the nose to prevent suffocation.
 Navel cord management-Cut the navel cord of the piglet approximately 36 minutes
after birth to minimize bleeding. The distance should be 4 to 5 cm from the base. You
can prevent profuse bleeding by using sterilize forceps or tying the navel cord before
cutting.
 Teeth clipping and tail docking - A piglet has eight needle teeth at birthThe needle
teeth can injure the tear and mammary gland of the sow. Remove the needle teeth using a
teeth clipper.
 Brooding management - Set a brooder place for the piglets. Newly-born piglets should
stay in a warm environment.
 Pig Identification - Pig identification is a very essential factor in properly evaluating the
performance of individual pigs. This method is often done on the piglet's second or third
day. Ear notching and ear tattooing are the common ways of identifying the animal. Ear
notching is done by making some notches in the ear of the animal, indicating a specific
number or code. Ear tattooing is done by using quality ink to mark the ears of the piglet.
However, this method is only applicable to white breeds.
 Colostrum management - Colostrum is the milk that the sow produces just after giving
birth. This milk contains antibodies that serve as the temporary protection of the piglets
against common baby diseases. It also contains Vitamin A, cleanses the lining of the
small intestine, and gives a mild laxative effect.
 Colostrum is not available in the entire lactation period. Thus, the swine farmer should
see to it that all the piglets suck an adequate amount of colostrum during the first 48 to
72 hours.
 Fostering - Fostering or transferring of piglets from other lactating sows is done if
necessary. There are sows that will hurt the piglets once they find out that they are not
their offsprings. Here are some recommendations to foster piglets.
- The gap between different piglets should not exceed two days;
- The sow farrowed in not longer than two days; Consider the uniformity of the
piglets,
- Transfer the piglets during night time. Observe the sows for any bad behavior,
and
e. Do something to make the sow and piglets smell alike.
 Iron supplementation - A piglet needs 7 mg of iron per day to prevent nutritional
anemia. The sow's milk contains iron, but it is not enough to meet the piglet's daily iron
requirement. Thus, supplementation of 2 ml iron dextran (100 mg of iron per ml) on the
third day is very important. Iron can be injected on the inner thigh muscles. The first iron
supplementation is given on the third day and the booster shot is given after a week.
 Castration - It is the removal of the testes of the male pigs. Male animals can be
castrated seven to 14 days after birth; or while the male animals are still young because,
during this period, they are still easier to restrain and their wounds heal faster.

Reasons for Castrating Pigs

Here are some reasons why male pigs are castrated.
 It improves the male pig's growth rate. castrated.
 It improves the pig's carcass quality.
 It prevents promiscuous breeding.
 It prevents undesirable animals for reproduction.
 Barrows are easier to handle.
 It removes boar odor from the meat.