When should we feed sows in farrowing?

This study explores the impact of feeding times (morning vs. evening) on farrowing times in sows. It was conducted with 278 sows divided into groups for morning and evening feeding. The results indicated that feeding sows in the morning significantly increased the frequency of farrowing during daytime hours, which can reduce labor costs by aligning farrowing times with worker availability. Additionally, evening-fed sows exhibited an increased total feed intake and slightly higher daily feed intake, leading to more piglets weaned and reduced pre-weaning mortality.

Key Findings:

• Morning feeding led to 51.43% of farrowing occurring during the day, compared to 21.95% for evening feeding.
• Evening-fed sows had higher total feed intake and a slight increase in daily intake.
• More piglets were weaned and pre-weaning mortality decreased in sows that were fed in the evening.

Implications:

These results suggest that morning feeding schedules may align farrowing times with worker availability, reducing labor costs and improving piglet survival rates. Further research is needed to optimize feeding schedules to enhance farrowing outcomes.