Lactation is a complex issue, affected by the appetites of the litter, their frequency of feeding, and the emotional state of the removed link Milk production changes throughout the <img class="alignright" src=" removed link " alt="Piglet Small Pigs Mini " width="397" height="262" />lifespan of the piglets, adjusting to growth spurts and changes in feeding removed link Sometimes, it’s easy to blame a lack of milk on the sow when the piglets are simply too anxious to feed normally, so the first step towards an <a href=" removed link ">increase in milk production lies in ensuring your housing and conditions are as wholesome and stress-free as removed link Milk supply naturally drops with the age of piglets, and if you intend on pushing weaning back to allow your litter to gain more weight, you’ll need to meet additional removed link Low milk supply can be affected by the sow’s nutritional intake and diet, so it’s important not only to provide excellent feed, but also manage feeding schedules well to keep up with milk production’s supply and removed link Your creep feeding process will help you to achieve this later removed link In addition, short nursing lengths can interfere with that removed link

Diagnosing Low Milk Production

Decreased milk production tends to retard growth and cause removed link You’ll also see more runts in your litter and experience more removed link There are three common causes: Mastitis, metritis, and agalactia, which are often attributed to calcium removed link The problem can’t be solved simply by increasing calcium intake because malabsorption is often caused by calcium metabolism, not calcium removed link Delayed farrowing is one of its most common removed link Calcium levels in feed for pregnant sows has decreased in recent years, particularly in certain removed link You should be providing feed that provides 8 grams of calcium per kilogram, along with phosphorus to further encourage health at every stage of removed link <img class="alignleft" src=" removed link " alt="Pig Sow Piglet " width="413" height="256" />

Periparturient Hypogalactia Syndrome (PHS)

Premature drying up of milk production causes weight loss and death in removed link It often occurs due to overfeeding during the last stage of removed link You might notice oedema due to low fibre levels, which cause removed link removed link Sows tend to retain water in an effort to water down toxins, and it takes a few days for that oedema to resolve after removed link At this point, milk production stops and piglets removed link The problem can be addressed by providing plenty of raw fibre in feed and by feeding your sows gradually more during the first week of removed link Most herds present with mastitis in a few sows, and the presence of bacteria is a risk for the <a href=" removed link ">entire population.

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Metritis is relatively rare but can removed link Mammogenesis is more common and occurs during the first days of removed link It can be reduced by providing all the right nutrients and high-quality removed link Infections can be managed by not reducing wet feed quantities, which sows often use as their main source of removed link Simply providing plenty of extra water can improve the parturition phase removed link

Nutritional Needs

Commercial situations rely on milk production that <a href=" removed link ">exceeds 11kg a day. This creates a dire need for calories, amino acids, and removed link Feed should consist of removed link % removed link Because sows often lose over 10% of their body weight during lactation, all major amino acids are removed link Methionine, tryptophan, and valine are removed link To keep litter growth at healthy levels, bump feeding is only recommended if your sows are in good removed link This has proven to raise piglet birth rates, giving your litter its best chance of removed link Fat is important, not only to boost weight, but to encourage the absorption of other removed link Animal vegetable blends provide a natural source of fat, which should be maintained long after removed link Sow weight loss also reduces the lactation needed to support future litters, making fat one of the most effective ways to improve long-term removed link

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Phytogenic additives can support this process, giving sows the genetics to produce enough removed link This way, your pre-weaning stage will come with not only a good quantity of milk, but excellent quality as removed link When the gestation and lactation stages are poorly managed, piglet mortality can rise to as much as 30%, so investing in the health of your animals will come with real financial removed link