Colostrum management: A vital response to extra sow productivity

“The basic input for the pig that is needed is an intake of 250 grams of colostrum, then the survival chances are more or less equal for all the pigs”

Bigger litters from modern prolific sows increase the challenge of making sure that every newborn pig consumes enough colostrum, we hear from Drs. Rutger Jansen. He's field technical service manager in The Netherlands for the Boehringer Ingelheim swine health portfolio and takes a special interest in colostrum management in sow herds. The first indicator of whether colostrum is being managed correctly is the herd's rate of pre-weaning deaths, he says, since over 75% of mortality in the first days of life relates to insufficient intake. Colostrum production from a typical sow may not meet the needs of more than 15-16 newborn pigs and competition in big litters creates uneven distribution because the larger piglets drink more than their share.