Improving sow efficiency by management to enhance opportunity for nutritional intake by neonatal piglets

Starvation, primarily during the first week postpartum, is the direct or indirect cause of at least one-half of preweaning mortalities in healthy herds. Causes of starvation originate from characteristics of the dam, of the litter and of individual piglets. A major cause of starvation is congenital weakness associated with birth weights less than 1000 g. Increasing energy during late gestation shows inconsistent effects on birth weight; some dietary component energy sources appear to improve stamina of newborn and(or) energy content of sow's milk with favorable effects on survival. Total or partial supplemental nutrient intake supplied by caretakers, automated feeding devices or transfer of piglets to foster dams are the primary means of providing enhanced nutrient intake opportunity. Nutrient intake from non-dam sources ranges from temporary tube-feeding, administered by caretakers to excessively small or weak pigs, to self-feeding by pigs from simple or sophisticated dispensers of sow milk substitutes. Transfer of piglets to foster dams as a nutrient intake source is most successful when characteristics such as size of dam, size of teats, stage of lactation and temperament are in harmony with characteristics affecting pigs' needs. If other dams are not available, sows 2 to 3 wk into lactation can serve as foster dams for large and strong newborn piglets after resident litters are removed. Planning for availability of appropriate foster dams, based on prior or projected prolificacy and other sow and litter traits, should be done at time of assembling each mating group. Research results show that, on a weight-to-weight basis, pigs requiring artificial or foster dam rearing perform similarly to other pigs and thus justify management to secure their survival.