Abstract
Selection for hyper‐prolific sows has increased the litter size by more than 50%during the last three decades, and proper nutrition of the female pigs hasconcomitantly changed due to improved prolificacy and productivity of gilts andsows. This review summarizes the physiological characteristics and nutritionalchallenges associated with feeding modern hyper‐prolific sows during the giltrearing period and during gestation, transition, and lactation periods. The reviewpresents up‐to‐date knowledge of the energy and lysine requirements of femalepigs and focuses on how nutrition may increase fat gain and limit protein andweight gain in the gilt rearing period and in early and mid‐gestation. In lategestation, fetal and mammary growth should be considered and during thetransition, colostrum yield and farrowing performance need to be optimized.Finally, milk production should be optimized and body mobilization should beminimized in the lactation period to achieve high feed efficiency in hyper‐prolific sows.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Molecular Reproduction and Development |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages (from-to) | 517-532 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISSN | 1040-452X |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2023 |
Keywords
- colostrum yield
- energy requirement
- farrowing performance
- fat and protein retention
- lysine requirement
- sow productivity
- Litter Size
- Sus scrofa/metabolism
- Lactation
- Colostrum/metabolism
- Lysine/metabolism
- Pregnancy
- Animals
- Swine
- Female