Gestation Nutrition in Sows: Supporting Welfare Through Pregnancy

Correct nutritional management during sow gestation is fundamental to her welfare, litter size, piglet birth weight, and subsequent lactation performance.

Key Facts

Sows should maintain body condition score of 3-3.5 (5-point scale) throughout gestation
Overfeeding in gestation causes obesity associated with farrowing difficulties and subsequent feed refusal in lactation
Underfeeding causes body condition loss that impairs immune function and milk production
Electronic sow feeders (ESF) enable individual feeding in group housing systems
Fiber supplementation in gestation reduces hunger and stereotypic behaviors in restricted-fed sows
Flushing (increased nutrition pre-mating) improves ovulation rate and litter size
Amino acid requirements increase significantly in late gestation as fetal growth accelerates

Welfare Considerations

Gestation nutrition directly affects sow welfare - underfed sows experience chronic hunger that drives stereotypic bar-biting and rooting behaviors, impairs immune function, and reduces litter viability. Overfed sows suffer from obesity-related complications at farrowing and reduced lactational capacity. Precision feeding that matches nutritional provision to individual body condition and stage of pregnancy, enabled by ESF technology in group housing, represents the welfare ideal. Where group feeding prevents individual allocation, fiber supplementation at least partially addresses hunger-related welfare problems.

What You Can Do

Score sow body condition at weaning, mating, mid-gestation, and pre-farrowing to track nutritional adequacy
Adjust feed allocation based on body condition - target condition 3-3.5 on a 5-point scale
Add dietary fiber (sugar beet pulp, oat hulls) to gestation diets to increase satiety in restricted-fed sows
Consider electronic sow feeder systems that enable individual feeding in group housing
Flush sows for 1-2 weeks pre-mating with increased energy to optimize ovulation rate
Increase amino acid provision in the final 4 weeks of gestation as fetal growth accelerates
Monitor body condition at farrowing - sows over condition 4 face increased farrowing difficulty risk