Breeding Adult
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- AI - The advantages and disadvantages of artificial insemination, selecting sows and gilts for insemination and the insemination technique are discussed.
- Batch Farrowing - Batch farrowing involves grouping 3 weeks' sows into one batch, so that every third week one large batch of sows farrow.
- Culling - Assuming an adequate number of maiden gilts of suitable weight, age and size are available on a unit the following guidelines should be used in deciding on culling a sow at weaning.
- Gilt Management - Practical information on the management of gilts.
- Heat detection - Important information on heat detection.
- Introduction of sows into groups - The principle requirements to minimize aggression/injury at mixing are discussed.
- Oestrus
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- Signs of oestrus. - Pre weaning mortality - Farrowing house mortality target levels and other useful information on the care of small weak pigs temperature requirements.
- Repeats - Not more than 10% of sows/gilts that are served should repeat. To get an accurate measure of the level of repeats on a unit, recording systems should record both repeats that are re-served as well as those that are culled.
- Replacement gilts - Selection of replacement gilts should begin at birth. Notch gilts from large uniform litters that are free from any abnormalities. Temperament, ease of farrowing and mothering ability of the sow should also be used to help aid the selection process.
- Stillbirths - Factors that cause or contribute to the problem of stillbirths are considered.
- Stotfold feeding scale - Litter weaning weights of 80 kg at 24 days are being achieved on the MLC Stotfold Pig Unit with sows fed to the scale. Similar weaning weights have also been achieved on farms in Northern Ireland using the feeding scale for lactating sows.
- Weaning to service interval - A checklist for identifying factors that can result in a reduction in the weaning to service interval.