Management and Feeding of Group-Housed Gestating Sows
نویسندگان
چکیده
Moving pregnant sows from individual stalls to group housing will require many changes in management and feeding practices to maintain optimal biological performance and sow welfare. Dietary energy requirements of sows may change compared with stall housing but requirements for other nutrients are not likely to change significantly. Producers may need to consider feeding requirements to support optimal sow welfare just like they have historically considered feeding requirements for optimal pig production and sow longevity. Even though sows are housed in groups, caretakers must employ an “animal-directed” approach to satisfy the needs of individual sows. The move from individual stalls to group housing will require a honing and fine-tuning of the caretakers’ pig knowledge and observational skills to ensure all sows receive proper care which leads to optimal performance.
منابع مشابه
Research on Group-Housing for Sows
Sow housing is a controversy issue in the swine industry. The conventional confinement housing system for sows, such as gestation stalls and farrowing crates have been used in the western countries for more than 30 years. Despite the advantages of confinement sow housing systems, concern over sow welfare due to restriction of movement has resulted in gestation stalls being banned in the Europea...
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