First analysis of factors influencing feed intake of sows during lactation

Title
First analysis of factors influencing feed intake of sows during lactation
Publication Date
2006
Author(s)
Hermesch, Susanne
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9647-5988
Email: Susanne.Hermesch@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:skahtenb
Editor
Editor(s): Susanne Hermesch, Kim L Bunter, Ronald E Crump, Anthony L Henzell, Matias Suarez
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
University of New England, Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit
Place of publication
Armidale, Australia
UNE publication id
une:10734
Abstract
During lactation, sows need to eat a sufficient amount of feed to meet the requirements of milk production to nurture their litter and to sustain their body condition. Overall, information about feed intake of lactating sows is limited. In addition, information about other factors influencing feed intake of the sow may be incomplete. These factors include feeding strategy, lactation length, litter size and weight of the litter the sow is nursing as well as sow body weight and body condition. Therefore, a direct comparison of feed intake across farms should be done with caution. The importance of sow lactation feed intake for a high lifetime reproductive performance has been discussed in the previous paper by Bunter et al. (2006). A large project is underway at QAF Meat Industries, funded by the Pork CRC, to evaluate breeding strategies that include feed intake of the lactating sow. However, feed intake of sows during lactation may also be recorded as a management tool to improve performance (Welch, 2005), which is practiced at Neuendorf Farming. It is the aim of this paper to describe information available for feed intake of sows during lactation as recorded in a commercial piggery and to identify factors that influence sow feed intake during lactation.
Link
Citation
Pig Genetics Workshop Notes: October 25-26, 2006, p. 44-49
Start page
44
End page
49

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