Sow and gilt service

It is important to house all newly weaned sows and gilts either next to each other in individual sow service stalls or in group-housed pens. (Ideally, no more than eight sow groups should be housed together.) Housing newly weaned sows together helps stimulate the onset of oestrus.

Sows can be kept in individual stalls during a period starting from four weeks after service to one week before the expected time of farrowing. This is to allow implantation of embryos and avoid stress from bullying, riding and competition for feed.

The sow stalls are typically 0.6 to 0.7 metres wide and 2 to 2.1 metres long, with a space allowance of 1.2 to 1.5 square metres per sow. Stall floors are usually made of insulated concrete, with slats behind.

To arrange a complimentary Alltech Pig ASSIST audit for your herd, please contact us at pigsolutions@alltech.com.