Support Sow Lifetime Productivity with Functional Nutrients in the Gilt Development Unit

How many parities does it take to recognize a profit on a sow? Mathematically, the break-even point is approximately 2.7 litters weaned; in practice that means a sow must wean three litters before she’s a profitable contributor to a production system. To become a profitable contributor, proper gilt development nutrition is key, however it is a widely debated topic. Intuitively, it makes sense that a female destined for life on the sow farm requires different nutrient loadings and management strategies than a finishing pig.  

How to Care for Gilts and Sows to Set Your Next Generation up for Success

To increase the number of pigs weaned and improve the lifetime productivity of your sows, it is important to prepare them for their first breeding. By ensuring a steady and regular flow of high-quality gilts, you must enhance their performance, optimize cost per weaned pig and be better prepared for any health or production challenges that may arise.  

Important considerations for sound gilt development include: 

• Optimizing Nutrient Quality 

• Assessing for Longevity 

• Achieving Appropriate Growth Rate 

• Electronic Sow Feeding (ESF) Training  

• Estrus Detection 

• Composition and Health Acclimation 

Health acclimation is an essential part of the GDU because it allows production systems to match the health status of new females coming into sow farms and begins the maternal antibody development process. Consideration of diet formulations should also be taken for proper development of the limbs and skeleton of a female so that the gilts selected based on conformation have the best opportunity to experience longevity. Proper execution of these steps in the GDU phase is important because it sets a replacement gilt up for success and longevity on the sow farm.   

Optimize Health, Longevity and Overall Gilt Robustness 

With proven post absorptive effects, Zinpro^® Performance Minerals^® are an essential nutritional component to support appropriate health acclimation while optimizing skeletal development and hoof health to ensure your gilts are best equipped to be successful on the sow farm. We can help you build a more robust pig from the inside out, starting with immunity. Data generated with Zinpro^® research partners and customers has demonstrated that incorporation of Zinpro Performance Minerals into a nutrition program allowed pigs to encounter and overcome disease challenges more quickly.   

Help Ensure Maximum Value for Your Health Acclimation Protocols 

Incorporation of Zinpro Performance minerals in a GDU diet catalyzes natural immune responses so your gilts can enter the sow farm with their best immunity. By ensuring that your gilts quickly acclimate their health status, they can invest energy and nutrition that would otherwise be used for an immune response to more productive outcomes like growth, skeletal and reproductive development.  

Let’s Partner

With more than 53 years of scientific research and superior products and services, our team of experts helps ensure your gilts are best equipped to experience longevity in the sow farm so that you can maximize lifetime pigs weaned per sow. When you partner with Zinpro, you achieve the best performance results and maximize value throughput from farrowing to finish.  

Ready to start a conversation about your gilt development unit?  Contact us today.  

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