Managing sow body condition through the reproductive cycle prevents metabolic disease, improves piglet welfare, and represents a fundamental welfare management responsibility.
Sow body condition management directly determines welfare outcomes for sows and the piglets they rear. Over-conditioned sows accumulate fat deposits that cause farrowing complications and metabolic disease; under-conditioned sows cannot support their own health and adequate milk production simultaneously. The result in either case is welfare compromise for the sow and potentially for her piglets. Electronic Sow Feeding technology enables individual sow nutrition management within group housing systems — a significant welfare advance that combines the social benefits of group housing with precision nutrition management.