MANAGING AND FEEDING SOWS FOR OPTIMUM PRODUCTIVITY

As the productivity of U.S. sow herds increases, feeding practices have not always kept up with the changes. Many time-honored management practices are now being disproved. Sows should be limit-fed for 14 days after breeding, except when a sow is extremely thin. Gilts are especially susceptible to the deleterious effects on embryo survival when fed high planes of nutrition immediately after breeding. Sows and gilts should be fed to attain specified levels of daily nutrient intake. This necessitates knowing feed consumption levels.