How do we help the sow taking care of more pigs? Marie Louise Madelung Pedersen Vet Team Annual Meeting, November 20, 2018
Today s to do list Sows who get help from a cup can take care of many pigs! How: Hygiene Milk Management Think before purchasing a milk cup system It is expensive be aware of the costs
Sows with milk cups can take care of many pigs 81 % of the sows with fewer than 16 pigs, weaned more than 14 pigs. Medd. 1116
Without milk cups With milk cups: 14 pigs 58 % 15 pigs 30 % Nursing capacity among Danish sows in the period 2016 to 2017 in two test herds (Bruun et al, 2017 and Sørensen and Krogsdahl, 2017)
The sows can take care of many pigs 5.. Sows in farrowing pens can take care of up to 16 pigs in the litter without compromising survival and weight % dead and moved (day 21) Pigs in the litter (day 21) Weight per pig (day 21) 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 b ab ab a Medd. 1116 14 16 18 20 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 a d c b 14 16 18 20 6,8 6,6 6,4 6,2 6,0 5,8 5,6 5,4 5,2 5,0 a a b c 14 16 18 20
It just does not happen by itself 10 herds with milk cups. Production data from 2016. Erfa. 1708
Why is it not easy! The pigs do not use the cup automatically Pigs over 1 kg at birth: 80 % of the pigs use the cup (Report no. 1111) Pigs over 700 g at birth: 50 % of the pigs use the cup (Aarhus University) The smallest pigs do not use the cup Is it because of the pig, the cup or the milk we do not know! FOTO: AU The cup is a safety net under sows with poor nursing capacity, but only saves the pigs that want to drink
How to increase egen-fravænning The pigs must use the cup The cup must be clean The system must be clean so that the milk does not taste bad The pig must be able to digest the milk Learn to take care of sows with many pigs
You can see that the pigs are drinking
Behaviour Pigs drink At nursing When the sow eat Problems Hygiene Bad taste of milk SMELL AND TASTE THE MILK! Pigs do not drink sour milk. Report no. 1111
FOTO: SVINERÅDGIVNINGEN FOTO: AU Do you want to be one of those with top results System Use acid and base (use only approved biocides when the pigs are in the pen) Use the system's automatic procedures and afterwards check yourself Cup Clean daily Wet feed trough Also need to be cleaned Do not use air
Good milk Must contain MILK! The young pig can only digest milk The challenge - The ingredients are by-products that do not have the ideal nutrient composition for a piglet. Skimmed milk powder Whey powder Milk replacer contain: Dairy products Vegetable fat Vegetable protein Extra delicious content: Blood plasma, colostrum, probiotics. We do not know how much is needed! Baby food Etc.
Selecting millk Read the package leaflet! 13.. Ingredients: Skimmed milk, whey, maltodextrine, coconut and palm oil, rice concentrate, wheat gluten, colostrum Content: Crude protein: 19 % Crude fat: 12.5 % Crude fiber: 0.6 % Crude ash: 5.0 % Sow milk 37 % fat 30 % protein
The way to high egen-fravænning Your sows have high nursing capacity and litter growth The pigs drink delicious milk from a clean cup You have good management and high survival rate among the pigs Increase gradually with one pig at a time You are still making mindsteammer Accept opsamlingssøer Do not move the smallest pig - move the one to be moved
Should I buy a system Why do I want it?
Problems 1. Challenges with capacity in the farrowing house 2. High piglet mortality 3. The system must take care of pigs A milk cup system can reduce the use of nursing sows Low mortality requires good management it comes before a system The milk system does not take care of the pigs for you! Benefits 1. Higher egen-fravænning 2. Higher weaning weight 3. More robust pigs at weaning Sows with a milk cup can take care of more pigs! The pig must be able to digest the milk and high litter size reduces the weight of the pig The pig is getting heavier, but it is more robust?
It is expensive! 17.. A milk cup system costs DKK 12.50 per weaned pig DKK 10 goes to milk 650 g increased weaning weight The cost is DKK 12.50 2.5 percentage point mortality 2016 prices - Erfa. 1708 A milk cup system is not always the cheapest solution when you have capacity problems Calculate whether or not you should build farrowing pens or reduce the sow number
The benefits must always be calculated at herd level! 18.. The benefits is depending on the opportunities in each herd Reduced feeding cost smågrise Higher weight The cost More sold piglets
Keep an eye on operating costs Record the consumption of the milk powder every month Calculate kg and price per weaned pig Compare with other herds Consumption tells about hygiene, milk, residues etc. Mælkeforbrug, oversigt Mælkeoplysninger Pris/ kg Antal frav. Kg mælk mælk Januar 2450 600 20 Februar 3140 640 20 Marts 2615 650 20 April 2730 420 20 Maj 3223 360 12,5 Juni 2678 382 12,5 Juli 2679 484 12,5 August 3155 460 12,5 September 2614 443 12,5 Gr./gris 245 204 249 154 112 143 181 146 169 Kr./gris 4,90 4,08 4,97 3,08 1,40 1,78 2,26 1,82 2,12 Pris/ kg Kg smooth smooth 800 13 913 13 855 13 785 13 642 13 700 13 428 13 636 13 737 13 Gr./gris 327 291 327 288 199 261 160 202 282 Kr./gris 4,24 3,78 4,25 3,74 2,59 3,40 2,08 2,62 3,67 Kr. pr. gris 9,14 7,86 9,22 6,82 3,99 5,18 4,34 4,44 5,78 Frav./so Dag 1-12 11,9 xx 12,2 xx 12,2 xx 12,8 xx 12,6 yy 13,1 yy 13,6 yy 13,9 yy 14,0 yy Dag 12-frav. Kommentar: zz zz zz zz zz Skifter mælk zz zz zz zz
Which system should I choose 20.. What is the purpose of the system? We see productivity improvement in all systems The choice depends on your wallet and your desire to be "first mover"
Feed strategy milk system 21.. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 MILK MILK SMOOTH MILK SMOOTH PRESTARTER Water cup system Milk cup system Mini wet feeder system The vegetable ingredients reduce costs! There is no evidence that the pig can become more "robust" or "enzyme-trained"!
Do I have room for the tanks and cups/troughs Cup must be close to pigs and employees
Conclusion Sows who get help from a cup can take care of many pigs! How: Hygiene Milk Management Think before purchasing a milk cup system It is expensive be aware of the costs