A few months ago, I had an interesting conversation with a client. They had been diligently monitoring overall sow feed intake and sow feed cost per pig for some time. To add a new dimension to their analysis, I proposed that they start tracking the ratio of gestation feed to lactation feed. Tracking this metric is surprisingly uncommon, however, it holds a wealth of insights that can significantly impact farm performance. High levels of gestation feed intake can serve as a warning sign of potential issues in the farm. Let’s explore why monitoring the gestation-to-lactation feed ratio is a valuable tool in optimizing sow farm efficiency.
When gestating sows consume an unusually high amount of feed, it may indicate underlying problems. This could mean that the sows are too fat or that they are experiencing significant weight loss during lactation or both. Both scenarios are cause for concern and warrant closer examination. High gestation feed intake can be indicative of suboptimal sow body condition. Sows that are too fat are at risk of poorer reproductive performance and perhaps most importantly, low lactation feed intake. On the flip side, if sows are losing too much condition or body weight during lactation, it can lead to longer wean to service intervals, lower farrowing rates and smaller litter size in subsequent litters.
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