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 I _

 Feeding and Managing the Swine
Breeding Herd
By JOHN C. ROBERTSON
. How you select and care for your swine breeding herd affects
your profit. Litter size is only 10-12 percent heritable and is mainly
determined by your management ability. Management of the breed- p
p ing herd to improve efficiency includes proper flushing of the sows,
breeding, herd health, nutrition, and environment.
FLUSHING THE SOW HERD
“Flushing" is feeding sows and gilts more about 10 days before
breeding. Flushing will help to increase the sow’s potential litter
size.
About 1 week after breeding, put flushed animals back on a
- limited feeding program. This will prevent rapid weight gains which
T cause embryonic death losses. See the nutrition section for suggested
rations and levels of feeding.
. BREEDING
The sow’s litter size can be increased by flushing and breeding at
· the second heat period following weaning. However, your farrowing
schedule should determine at which heat period to rebreed the sow.
If you full feed lactating sows and do not wean pigs until they
are 6 weeks old, litter size is not increased by delaying breeding to
n the second heat period. If you practice early weaning do not breed
sows until the second or third heat period.
Keep weight gain down by feeding less after breeding.
Table 1 lists breeding information which can help you manage
better.
Cilts will come in heat when about 6 months old. They will
ovulate one to two more ova in the second heat period than the first
and one to two more in the third heat period than the second. To
insure maximum litter size breed at the third heat period. This will
mean at an age of 7%-8 months of age for most breeds.
There is no successful method at the present time to bring gilts
into heat at the same time. Weaning of nursing pigs will usually bring
sows into heat in 3-8 days. Sows will then cycle every 18-21 days
3

 Table 'l—Breeding Information g ‘
Age to breed gilts 7%-8 months
Length of heat period 2-3 days
Best time to breed in heat period 2nd day I
Number of services per sow 2 services
at 12- to 24-hour intervals
Interval between heat periods 18-21 days I
Heat occurs after weaning 3-8 days I
Gestation period 114 days
until bred. By weaning nursing pigs of a given group of sows at _
different ages, you can be fairly successful in getting a group of sows
bred together. The longer the nursing period, the shorter the time
from weaning to a heat period.
Hand mating is recommended to make the best use of the boar
and to get a record of breeding and farrowing dates. Breed near the ” .
middle of the heat period and breed a second time 12 to 24 hours
later. Breeding twice improves the conception rate up to 18 percent
and increases litter size about one pig. .
When pasture breeding is followed, separate large groups of sows
into 10- to 12-sow units Rotate boars from one pen to another daily. A
In very hot weather run boars with sows only during the night. A
Multiple Forrowing Breeding Schedules
In multiple farrowing you divide sows into two or three groups.
Breeding and farrowing are spread over four to six periods. This
practice makes more efficient use of boars and farrowing facilities. I
Table 2 tells when to breed for four farrowings yearly, Table 3 for
six farrowings yearly. `
HEALTH I
Diseases are the biggest problems to overcome in producing large
litters of healthy pigs. Gilts selected from large litters of thrifty pigs I
are less likely to be carrying disease organisms than gilts from poor I
litters. Blood-test all sows and gilts for brucellosis 3 weeks or more
before the breeding season. Market all positive reactors immediately
and retest for brucellosis every 21 days until the herd is clean. Leptos-
peroris is widespread in Kentucky, and a routine vaccination is advis-
able 2-3 weeks before breeding time.
Ilog cholera is a very costly disease, and you should make routine
vaccinations for it. Bcvaccinate the breeding herd every year but
do not vaccinate for cholera during gestation. Young pigs are usually
vaccinated 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after weaning. Erysipelas vac-
4

  ` Table 2—Multip|e Farrowing Schedule For Two-Sow Herds Farrowing Twice a
Year on an Every-third-month Basis.
Market-
Sow Dates to Dates Due Weaning Dates Sows Dates to Top ing Com-
Herd Breed to Farrow Dates Are Rebrcd Out for Market pleted
1 Sept. 9-29 ]an. 1-21 Feb. 12-Mar. 4 Mar. 9-29 May 19-]une 8 ]une 10
2 Dec. 8-28 Apr. 1-21 May 13-]une 2 ]une 9-29 Aug. 17-Sept. 6 Sept. 9
. 1A Mar. 9-29 ]uly 1-21 Aug. 12-Sept. 1 Sept. 9-29 Nov. 16-Dec. 6 Dec. 10
. 2A ]une 9-29 Oct. 1-21 Nov. 12-Dec. 2 Dec. 8-28 Feb. 16-Mar. 8 Mar. 12
‘ _ Table 3—MuItiple Farrowing Schedule For Three-sow Herds Farrcwing Twice a
I Year on an Every-other-month Basis.
Market-
Sow Dates to Dates Due Weaning Dates Sows Dates to Top ing Cum-
Herd Breed to Farrow Dates Are Rebred Out for Market pleted
_ 1 Oct. 10-30 Feb. 1-21 Mar. 15-Apr. 4 Apr. 9-29 ]une 19-]uly9 ]uly 13
2 Dec. 8-28 Apr. 1-21 May 13-june 2 ]une 9-29 Aug. 17-Sept. 6 Sept. 12
i 3 Feb. 7-27 ]une 1-21 ]uly 13·Aug. 2 Aug. 9-29 Oct. 17-Nov. 6 Nov. 12
1A Apr. 9-29 Aug. 1-21 Sept. 12—Oct. 2 Oct. 10-30 Dec. 17-]an. 6 ]an. 13
2A ]une 9-29 Oct. 1-21 Nov. 12-Dec. 2 Dec. 8-28 Feb. 16-Mar. 8 Mar. 15
3A Aug. 9-29 Dec. 1-21 ]an. 13-Feb. 2 Feb. 7-27 Apr. 19-May 9 May 13
A . cination may be done 2-3 weeks before either breeding or farrowing.
Young pigs are usually vaccinated at 8 to 12 weeks of age.
Breed sows and gilts only when they are in excellent health. Do
not breed sows or gilts recovering from a bacterial or virus infection
until the next heat period.
Cestating sows can be treated for internal parasites with piperazine
` l either in the feed or water. Do this before the last 3 weeks of gesta-
» tion. Spray sows and quarters to control external parasites. Always
follow manufacturers directions when using chemicals. Lindane and
W benzene hexachloride (BHC) are commonly used to control lice and
mange.
Environment
Pc1s·tur0—Provide bred sows with lush legume pasture in summer
and a small grain pasture in winter. Balboa rye seeded at the rate of
4 bushels per acre cross-drilled in August or early September will
provide pasture for 8-10 sows per acre. Certain factors in green,
growing plants are essential for good litter size and liveability of
pigs.
Shelter and \Vater-Provide 20 square feet of shelter from the
sun for sows on pasture (Fig. 1). Provide about the same amount
of bedded shelter for winter. Always have fresh water available.
5

 .  _ U l
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Fig. `l.-—Provide about 20 square feet of shade for each sow. This is an inexpen-
sive way to provide shade. -
Move sows into a clean farrowing facility at about the 110th to
the 112th day of gestation.
Isolati0n—Neuer bring purchased stock into the area where bred .
sows are kept. Always isolate purchased stock for at least 1 month y ·
before introducing to your herd.
NUTRITION
Feeding
l)uring gestation the sow does not need a great deal to eat. How- `
ever, the feed must supply the right nutrients. Research proves there
are more mistakes of overfeeding during gestation than underfeeding,
at least of energy foods. Overly fat sows cause high embryonic death .
losses of pigs. Older sows need to make no more gain than that
represented by the newborn litters plus weight loss during lactation.
Allow gilts to gain 75-100 pounds since their bodies are still growing. T
Feed sows less early in gestation, then increase feeding during the
last 6 weeks of pregnancy. This takes care of the faster growth and
needs of the fetuses and prepares the sow for good lactation. The
availability of good pasture and the sow’s condition will determine
the proper level of feeding. This may vary from 2-6 pounds per head
daily of a complete ration early in gestation to 4-8 pounds during
late gestation, depending on the factors given above.
Good pasture can replace 50 percent of the feed normally required
by gestating brood sows (Fig. 2).
6

 Table 4-Feeding Recommendations
 
Percent Protein Av Daily Feed
Drylot
l Gilts Sows Gilts Sows
[  
Pregestation 15 15 4-5 3-5
Breeding season (flushing) 15 15 7-8 7-8
. _ Cestation, early 15 15 4-6 4-6
I Cestation, late 15 15 6-8 6-8
 
l Table 5—-Gestation Rations (Hand Feed)
Ingredients Pounds Pounds Pounds
 
Ground yellow com 970 1,000 1,400
‘ Oats 500 500 ......
50% soybean oil meal 200 ...... . .....
Commercial sow supplement ...... 300 300
Alfalfa meal 300 200 300
Steamed bonemeal 20 ...... . .....
Trace mineral salt 10 ...... . .....
- I Vitamin premix° + ...... . .....
V TOTAL 2,000 2,000 2,000
 
° Vitamin premix should contain:
Vitamin A 4.0 million I.U.
Vitamin D 1.0 million I.U.
Riboilavin 2 gram
` Pantothenic acid 4 gram
Niacin 8 gram
Vitamin B12 10 milligrams
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_;v¤.;,£.Z»g434;J· pw ,    ;;w.>,i;$..§§:;Mii;.;f;.‘;»¤·\;.¢,-‘   ·.·;~·!·:; z;`2’*»·  ;a§_' 
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Fig. 2.—Good legume pasture in the summer and balboa rye in the winter can
replace about 50 percent of the feed cost for the breeding herd.
7

 Methods of Feeding · l
Hand F eeding—Hand feeding is recommended for gestating sows.
Limited feeding controls the sows condition better. This results in
less embryonic mortality and saves a large amount of feed. Sows on
restricted feed will reproduce longer than sows allowed full feed. ‘
When restricting sows’ feed intake, spread the feed over a large .
area or provide feeding stalls so that each sow gets the proper amount ·
of feed (Fig. 3).
Time Feeding-With this method pregnant sows and gilts are · _
given limited access to a self-feeder. This has produced good results l
in recent tests. To control weight gains properly, sows and gilts ‘
should not have free access to the self-feeders during more than 24
out of 72 hours.
MANAGEMENT TIPS
1. Do not overfeed, especially energy foods. `
2. Do not run sows and gilts together.
  Follow proper boar to sow ratio.
4. Keep gestating sows on clean pasture; avoid contaminated lots.
5. Provide shade, shelter, and water. K
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Fig. 3.-Feeding stalls insure that each sow is receiving the exact amount of
feed desired.
8

 é>
P ` 4)
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      ~%
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Fig. 4.·—Constructi¤n details for sow feeding stalls.
A BOAR MANAGEMENT
~ One of the best ways to avoid most of the problems involved in
the new herd sire is to purchase the boar well ahead of the time for
full service. Some of the important considerations are transportation,
housing, feeding, diseases, and management.
Transportation
._ 1. Do not haul boars together unless they have run together
_ f before. If you buy more than one boar, separate each one with
a strong partition.
2. Use a truck that has been cleaned and disinfected since hauling
other livestock.
3. Provide shade and moist bedding (preferably sand) when the
temperature is above 65°F. Provide straw for bedding when-
ever the temperature is below 50°F.
4. Protect against wind created by movement of vehicle.
Housing
1. Keep the boar away from the herd for 1 month. Put him in
a clean, disinfected house which has been vacant for at least
3 weeks.
9

 2. Provide the boar with about 20 square feet of dry, draft—free, P
but well ventilated sleeping area. In cool weather straw should
be provided as bedding. In hot weather (above 75°F. be sure ‘
to provide the boar with a clean, cool area since summer heat l
can reduce fertility.
3. The boar should be provided about 5,000-6,000 square feet of
exercise area. Put sleeping and feeding areas some distance
apart to encourage exercise.
Feeding i
Feed the boar the same ration the gestating sow receives l
(Table 5). .
Avoid overfeeding as it may cause sluggishness. Feed young boars
enough to permit a daily gain of I to 1% pounds prior to the breed-
ing season. A self feeder is not recommended, but do follow a regular -
feeding schedule.
About 2 weeks before the breeding season increase the daily feed
allowance by 50 percent. For example, an off-season allowance of
4 pounds should be increased to 6 pounds daily. ,
Disease and Parasite Control
The disease and parasite control program is the same as for the
sow herd. See page 4.
Management Tips
1. Avoid using nose rings as they may affect the boar as a
“breeder."
2. Mate boars to four to six healthy females scheduled for
slaughter. If more than one of these females returns to heat T `
within 25 days after mating, the boar’s fertility is questionable.
  Remove tusks from boars (Fig. 5). n
4. Follow a recommended boar—to-sow ratio as outlined in Table 6.
Each boar’s breeding capacity and aggressiveness vary a good
deal. So it is hard to say what the “normal” breeding load is.
The Hgures in Table 6 are based on research and practical
experience.
5. Usually you can increase the breeding effectiveness of most
boars by letting them run with the sows only at night. This
permits mating during the coolest part of the day and prevents
ovcroxertion and overheating which could result from mating
behavior during the day.
10

    
\
Ki
  7""""-¥‘·~*·<3 $ *:~ `· .>~_:_-;..-QA:- »= ··` ${:2  <.
  ,>é·*’l;' xml`!
Fig. 5.-Equipment needed for removing tusk from boars. The chain snare is
for restraining boar and the hack saw for removing tusk.
Table 6—Recommended Breeding Load
 
Age, Month Pen Mating Mntim; hy Hand
-  
7 or less None None
7 to 9 2 per week 2 per week
9 to 12 8-10 in I3-wk period 15-20 in 3-wk period
12 to 18 10-12 in 3-wk period 20-25 in 3—wl< period
18 and over 12-15 in 3-wk period 25-30 in 3-wk period
11

 Cnoperxitivc Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics: College of Agriculture
and Home Economics. University of Kentucky, Lexington. and the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture. cooperating. William A. Seay, Dean and Director. Issued in further-
ance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
SM-:3-65