Management of parturient sows

1. Prenatal preparation work

The expected delivery period of sows is generally about 110-120 days. At this stage, we should strengthen the observation of the situation of sows and make the following preparations for delivery. First of all, choose the place suitable for sow delivery, and then do a good job in the cleaning and disinfection of the delivery house one week before the sow enters the house, with a soft mat of grass, and check the warm facilities of the pig house when giving birth in winter and spring. Summer and autumn should check the heat prevention and ventilation conditions in the house.

Clean the pig body a few days before delivery and disinfect it. Clean the nipple, vulva and pig with 0.1% potassium permanganate solution. Scrub with 2% Lysol. Then drive the sows into the house, prepare delivery tools, such as ear number pliers, tooth cutters, weighing equipment and birth records, Vaseline (for pig delivery) and ligation line (for broken navel), etc., as well as iodine, alcohol, potassium permanganate and other disinfectants, and arrange for the staff on duty.

two。 Symptoms of parturition

On the 3rd and 5th day before delivery, the breasts are dilated, glossy, feverish, red, bright and thick, the nipples on both sides are swollen into a "eight" shape, and there is a small amount of thin milk during extrusion. Most of the front nipples of sows can squeeze out or leak slightly yellow and sticky colostrum. If the last pair of nipples can extrude milk, they can give birth in about 6 hours. The vagina is loose, red and swollen, and the tail root gradually sinks down on both sides of the tail, but the subsidence of the fatter sow is often not obvious, and the sow holds the grass to make a nest; if the sow is restless and wanders, the number of breaths increases from 25 to 75 per minute, and the tail root is lifted. Sometimes frequent urination begins, and mucus flows out of the vulva-amniotic fluid "breaks", and the shaking of the tail indicates that delivery is imminent.

3. Delivery

Sows give birth by contracting the uterus and abdominal muscles to expel the fetus and placenta. The sow lies on its side, the limbs are straight, the muscles of the hindquarters are relaxed, and the sacrum and caudal vertebrae are easy to move upward to facilitate the passage of the fetus. Because the abdominal wall does not bear the weight of the fetus and viscera, the contraction of the abdominal muscles can make the pain strong. The pelvic axis of the sow tilts to the right and downward, making the birth canal nearly straight, plus the fetus.

The thickest part is not as wide as the pelvis, and the fetus is easy to discharge, rarely causing dystocia. The length of delivery time of sows varies with breed, age, number of fetuses and the interval between fetal excretion, usually 2 hours, which is usually slow when the first piglet is excreted. At the time of delivery, there must be a quiet environment, which is conducive to the sow's cerebral cortex to receive stimulation from the uterus, sending a strong signal to promote the smooth excretion of the fetus. When the piglets are born, the mucus on the mouth and nose of the piglets should be removed immediately with a piece of cloth or soft grass, so as to ensure the smooth breathing of the piglets: clean the whole body, promote the rapid drying of the body surface of the piglets, and reduce the loss of body heat. Prevent colds: in addition, it is necessary to carry out navel cutting, tooth cutting, tail cutting and other delivery work.

4. Postpartum nursing

For newly born piglets, they should be allowed to eat sow colostrum as soon as possible, which is beneficial to restore piglet body temperature, accelerate sow delivery and increase the affinity between sows and piglets. Sows that give birth quietly can adopt the method of lactation while giving birth, and sows that are not quiet in childbirth should adopt the method of lactation after giving birth. The temperature of the delivery house is not suitable for piglets, so it is necessary to take measures to dissipate heat and keep warm where the piglets lie, so as to provide a suitable ambient temperature for newborn piglets (29-35 ℃). The placenta can be excreted within about 30 minutes after parturition, and some sows take a little longer. If the two uterine corners of the placenta are defective or the weight is too small, attention should be paid to prevent the occurrence of uterine inflammation caused by the retention of the placenta. In addition, a large amount of fresh water should be provided in time; clean the bedding grass with blood and mucus and replace it with new grass; remove the placenta, umbilical cord and dead piglets, and do not eat the sows to prevent them from developing the addiction of eating piglets.

5. Suitable temperature

Unsuitable temperature is another important factor leading to the decrease of feed intake. Studies have shown that in order for lactating sows to achieve maximum feed intake, the delivery house must maintain a moderate temperature (15-18 ℃). When the ambient temperature of the delivery house increases by 1 degree Celsius, the feed intake can be reduced by 180 grams per day.