Correct condition at first mating is a critical message. The industry is suffering heavily from the lost potential of sows having to be culled early. Dr William Close, consultant nutritionist, explains how to get it right and the benefits you will gain. The young gilt represents the future of any pig enterprise and, like any good investment, must be treated with great care and attention. If not managed properly, she is unlikely to fulfil her true breeding potential. The body condition of the gilt atfirst mating has a significant effect on lifetime performance. As illustrated in Figure 1, those animals which did not have sufficient body condition when first selected and introduced on-farm failed to achieve a reasonable number of parities. The better the body condition, the better the lifetime performance of the animals.
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