Nutrition: Can spray-dried plasma help sow feed intake during lactation?


Experiments in Indiana suggest that young lactating sows fed spray-dried plasma in summer had increased feed intake and reduced weaning-to-estrus interval, whereas mature sows had lower feed intake and heavier litter weights without compromising days to estrus

by JANICE MURPHY

A tremendous amount of time and energy goes into the selection and management of breeding females in a swine herd. Attrition of young sows has a significant impact on a production unit’s ability to achieve sow longevity targets. Ultimately, a breeding female must produce enough offspring to offset her purchase price and maintenance costs within the herd so that any offspring produced above and beyond that represent profit.

Better Pork February 2008