Keeping crates full
The most expensive part of any hog operation is the farrowing facilities. It is important to keep the farrowing crates full at all times to maximize returns.
To do this, a gilt pool for replacements is critical.
A farrowing barn might consist of four rooms of five crates each with three week weaning. For each room to be full, five gilts and sows will have to be bred successfully every week.
At least six sows or replacement gilts need to be bred each week. Five out of six will have to have a litter 115 days later to keep the room full. This works out to an 83 percent farrowing rate. If all six catch, it gives the producer a chance to do some culling.
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A common routine followed is to wean sows on Thursday. Breeding should be done on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week. However, you are weaning only five sows so at least one gilt is required at this time. If any sows are culled due to poor performance or injury, more than one gilt is required.
Some sows, especially first litter sows, do not cycle within seven days. It is a good idea to keep only eight pigs on first litter sows and wean them on Monday, three days earlier, so they come into heat with the older sows the following week.
Some operations have three or more gilt pens with five gilts per pen. Once three gilts are bred the other two are shipped and five new ones are placed into the pen. This prevents fighting among the gilts.
Some weeks it may be impossible to breed six females. If this is the case and only five are bred, try to breed seven the following week.
If any gilts or sows come back into estrous 21 days after being bred, market them. If you try to rebreed them, conception or farrowing rate is even lower.
Full farrowing facilities maximize returns so good breeding management is essential. Good records should also be kept.
– Manitoba Agriculture
