Copper, zinc and manganese are the 3 trace minerals most demanded by sows. Feeding the right amounts of these minerals is essential to the longevity and reproductive success of sows.Second to reproductive failure, sow lameness is the next reason sows are culled from herds. An average of 30-35% of sows in any given herd experience lameness. Producers should target that number to be just 10% of their herd. Early culling of sows also cuts into profits. This is due to potentially decreased farrowing rate, smaller litters and limited progeny performance, which are all traits linked to early parity sows.Mike Hemann, swine account manager at Zinpro Corporation, agrees on the importance of decreasing turnover in the sow herd. “We know that a sow must reach her fourth parity to realise her economic potential,” he says. “By working to decrease lameness in the sow herd, we can increase the longevity in sows and, in turn, can see more sows reach their economic potential.”Read full article
