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Abstract: The Importance of Optimal Body Condition to Maximize Reproductive Health and Perinatal Outcomes in Pigs

Abstract: The importance of optimal body condition to maximize reproductive health and perinatal outcomes in pigs

Overnutrition or undernutrition during all or part of the reproductive cycle predisposes sows to metabolic consequences and poor reproductive health which contributes to a decrease in sow longevity and an increase in perinatal mortality. This represents not only an economic problem for the pig industry but also results in poor animal welfare. To maximize profitability and increase sustainability in pig production; it is pivotal to provide researchers and practitioners with synthesized information about the repercussions of maternal obesity or malnutrition on reproductive health and perinatal outcomes; and to pinpoint currently available nutritional managements to keep sows' body condition in an optimal range. Thus, the present review summarizes recent work on the consequences of maternal malnutrition and highlights new findings.

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Cleaning Sheep Barns & Setting Up Chutes

Video: Cleaning Sheep Barns & Setting Up Chutes

Indoor sheep farming in winter at pre-lambing time requires that, at Ewetopia Farms, we need to clean out the barns and manure in order to keep the sheep pens clean, dry and fresh for the pregnant ewes to stay healthy while indoors in confinement. In today’s vlog, we put fresh bedding into all of the barns and we remove manure from the first groups of ewes due to lamb so that they are all ready for lambs being born in the next few days. Also, in preparation for lambing, we moved one of the sorting chutes to the Coveralls with the replacement ewe lambs. This allows us to do sorting and vaccines more easily with them while the barnyard is snow covered and hard to move sheep safely around in. Additionally, it frees up space for the second groups of pregnant ewes where the chute was initially.