Livestock

Gestating Sow Body Condition: Welfare and Feeding Management

How body condition monitoring and feeding management protect gestating sow welfare.

Key Facts

Gestating sows must maintain body condition score 3-3.5 throughout pregnancy
Over-conditioned sows at farrowing have more difficult parturitions and greater piglet mortality
Under-conditioned sows enter lactation with inadequate reserves — causing welfare decline in lactation
Individual feeding systems allow precise control of condition in group-housed sows

Welfare Considerations

Gestating sow body condition directly affects welfare in pregnancy, at farrowing, and through lactation. Over-conditioned sows at farrowing experience dystocia, increased stillbirths, and milk fever. Under-conditioned sows lose excessive body weight in lactation causing chronic welfare compromise. Welfare-focused management scores body condition at service, mid-pregnancy, and at farrowing — adjusting feeding to maintain the target range.

What You Can Do

Implement regular body condition scoring of gestating sows at key physiological stages
Use individual feeding systems or electronic sow feeders to allow precise condition management
Train stockpeople to adjust sow feeding based on body condition scoring outcomes