Pigs Notes November 2011

What day of the week do you wean your sows?  Although the majority of sows are weaned on Wednesday or Thursday a small, but increasing, number of producers wean sows on Monday afternoon.  Traditionally weaning took place on Thursday to avoid the need to serve sows over the weekend.  This was because serving sows was a time consuming job.  However, with the use of artificial insemination, combined with good service house design/layout and new techniques for stimulating and inseminating sows, for example, breeding buddies, bungee ropes more sows can now be inseminated in a shorter space of time.  With the correct layout and technique it is possible to inseminate 20-25 sows per hour per person.

The main benefit of Monday weaning is that more time is available to check the newly weaned pigs and to encourage them to eat and drink.  Weaning is a very stressful time for piglets. They are taken from the sow, mixed with other pigs, moved to a new environment and fed a solid diet. Although post weaning setback is inevitable good management at this stage can reduce the length of the setback.

A County Antrim producer who has been weaning on Monday now for over six months says “weaning on a Monday allows me to devote more time to the weaned pigs.  At the weekend there is less staff on the unit and there is a risk that weaned pigs will not get the attention they need or deserve”

Monday weaning may not be for everyone.  But with the use of well designed service facilities and labour saving techniques it is an option.  

In flat decks there is often a build up of dung along the back wall.  This is due to the pigs not being able to ‘tramp’ the dung down through the slats.  In addition to being unhygienic this build up of dung acts as a reservoir for infection.  To avoid this problem a farm I recently visited left a gap between the edge of the slats and the wall at both ends of the pen.  The gap is blocked off by a plastic pipe attached to the wall by a chain for the first few days after the pigs are weaned (see photo).  This is to avoid small pigs getting their legs caught in the gap.

Once the pigs have been weaned about a week the pipe can be removed leaving an opening for dung to pass down through into the tank.

It is well known that boar contact plays an important role in stimulating and detecting heat.  Stimulation of sows during artificial insemination is also critical as it creates the release of oxytocin.  Oxytocin causes the muscles of the uterus to contract aiding the transport of sperm.  Good transport of sperm is associated with higher conception rates and litter size.  Stimulation of sows during artificial insemination is often a combination of boar contact and pressure being put on the sow by the stockperson.  This can be in the form of pressure by, for example, hand, breeding buddy, bungee rope.  In Denmark an intensive method of stimulation is carried out by the stockperson.  It is known as the ‘five point plan’ and is as follows:-

Studies have shown this high level of stimulation by the stockperson results in a higher farrowing rate.