MANAGEMENT OF SOWS TO PREVENT PIGLET LOSS ES

The loss of newborn piglets in the perinatal period is often caused by poor nutrition in pregnancy. The consequences are: low birth weight, a prolonged labour, delayed onset of lactation, the crushing of piglet s by the sow and hypoglycaemia in newborn piglets. From day 85 to 115 of pregnancy the daily ration should contain: 30 MJ metabolisable ener gy; 300 g digestible crude protein; 20-30,000 IU vitamin A, 15g lysine and 20g calcium. The duration of labour can be optimised by increasin g the amount of crude fibre in the ration to 10% a few days before par turition, the subcutaneous administration of 30ml calcium gluconate an d the induction of birth from day 112 of pregnancy by the administrati on of PGF2alpha or in combination with oxytocin. The most important fa ctors to reduce piglet losses are an appropriate diet for the sows, th e conditioning of sows, the use of methods to accelerate labour and th e prevention of hypoglycaemia in newborn piglets.