Bonus Tydskrif SPRING SUMMER 2024 FINAL

Effects of high production The nutrients required for (milk) production combined with the nutrient intake from feed, determines the need to use body reserves to prevent excessive mobilisation of body reserves and to ensure good, long-term productivity. If the sow does not consume sufficient nutrients, she can show reproductive, locomotive or health problems, leading to lower production or even being culled from the herd. Gilts and young sows are especially sensitive to mismanagement, and they account for about 20% of the sows that are removed from the herd in the first two parties. Assessing nutritional requirements for sows If we want to feed sows to meet their requirements, we need to know what their requirements are. These are calculated by determining the maintenance, the growth, and the production requirements. To determine the requirements for production we need to know sow parity, stage of production, the body condition (development) as well as the desired production level. During gestation, requirements are determined by maintenance, maternal growth, growth of the developing piglets and udder development. Maternal growth can be divided further into growth of the young sows to reach mature Born alive Year Year Weaned litter Figure 2: Change in born alive/litter in the Netherlands. (Source: Agrovision) Figure 3: Change in born alive/litter and weaned/litter in South Africa. (Source: PIC) Born alive www.agribonus.co.za Spring/Summer 2024 BONUS 33