Prediction of multiple offspring and correction of sow feeding

Abstract

Goal. To develop a way to predict sows’ multiple births and correct their feeding, which will be based on the characteristics of the sexual cycle of animals, and improve the management of the herd and breeding processes. Methods. The study was conducted under the conditions of Agroprime Holding LLC in 2024–2025 on sows of a Large white breed. Sexual behavior of animals was determined by the method of timing and visual observations. The multiplicity of sows was calculated according to methods generally accepted in animal husbandry. Biometric processing of research results was carried out using methods of variational statistics. Results. Based on monitoring the duration of estrus after weaning piglets on the 28th day of lactation, sows were divided into 3 groups depending on the type of sexual hunting: group I — short hunting, group II — medium, and group III — long hunting. It was established that sows that came to hunt on the 3rd-4th day after weaning piglets and were fertilized had the highest multiplicity (14.31 ± 0.33 goals); those who came to the hunt on the 5th-6th day were characterized by an average multiplicity (13.25 ± 0.24 goals); in sows that came hunting on day 7–8, the multiplicity was the lowest (11.43 ± 0.31 goals). In total, 75  4.31 = 243 piglets were obtained from sows of group I, 195  13.25 = 1656 from sows of group II, and 30  11.43 = 343 piglets from sows of group III. Conclusions. The dependence of sow multiplicity on the period of their arrival into the hunt after weaning of piglets and the possibility of its prediction by the type of sexual hunting was established. Since it is known that in sows with a short sexual hunt, the multiplicity reaches 14.31 ± 0.33 goals, with an average of 13.25 ± 0.24, and in sows with a long sexual hunt, 11.43 ± 0.31 goals, these data were used to calculate the optimal feed rate for pig sows 10 days before farrowing. For animals of groups I–III with a live weight of 150 kg, it should be 2.42; 3.41 and 2.39 kg, respectively; for animals weighing 200 kg — 2.59; 2.58 and 2.56 kg, and for animals weighing 250 kg — 2.73; 2.72 and 2.70 kg, respectively.