During periods of heat stress, lactating sows often experience reduced feed intake by as much as 10 – 25%. This negatively impacts milk production, sow body condition and subsequent reproductive performance. Implementing targeted nutrition and management strategies can help maintain performance and reduce long-term consequences.
The challenge of heat stress in lactation
Heat stress can limit feed intake during early lactation, a critical phase when nutrient demands are at their peak. If these demands are not met, sows begin to mobilize body reserves, leading to increased body weight loss and backfat loss, and reduced milk production. The heat stress and the sow's natural body response during these events can trigger hormonal changes that negatively impact her short-term and long-term reproductive capabilities.
Feeding strategy recommendations
1 . Implement a transition diet before farrowing
Introducing a transition diet 5-7 days before farrowing can improve digestive health and prepare sows for the energy demands of farrowing and lactation. Transition diets offer several benefits, including:
- Supporting gut health and stimulating feed intake.
- Reducing the risk of constipation.
- Promoting smooth digestive adaptation before switching to a high-density lactation diet.
Transition diets should be high in fiber and offered in multiple smaller meals to encourage voluntary feed intake leading up to farrowing.
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