Care and management of the sow

• Regulate free feed intake of gilts or sows immediately after breeding to prevent them from becoming too fat. Obesity of pregnant sows may result to a fewer number of pigs farrowed. Also, they may suffer from farrowing complications.

• Keep the pregnant sow in an environment ideal for better conception. Sprinkle water on the sows when the weather is too hot or whenever necessary.

• To avoid constipation, provide a healthy but a laxative ration. Provide plenty of water and newly harvested green feeds such as camote vines, kangkong, paragrass and water lily.

• Deworm sows and gilts against internal parasites and treat external parasites 14 days before expected date of farrowing.

• In commercial operations, the sow should be transferred to the farrowing house one week before farrowing to provide her time to adjust to new environment.

• On the average, a sow will farrow in 114 days after a successful mating.The usual range is 109-119 days. Watch out for the following signs: the abdomen swells; the sow becomes restless and nervous; the vulva is swollen with possible mucus discharge;and milk is present in the teats if pressed
  

• Attend to the sow during birth because this is the most crucial time in the life of the newborn piglets.

• Full-feed the sow or gilt with a high-energy ration for about two weeks before mating to ensure maximum ovulation rate.

• Observe proper time of mating to ensure maximum litter size. A sow is in heat if she exhibits one or more of the following symptoms: swelling and reddening of the vulva; mucous discharge from the vulva; restlessness and grunts frequently; mounting other pigs; frequent urination and cocks her ears frequently.
  

• Mate each gilt or sow twice to the same boar in one heat period with an interval of 12 to 25 hours.

• A boar-to-sow ration of 1:25 - 30 is generally recommended.

Housing

Generally, boars should be four to six months old at the time of selection- Whatever systems of operation, hog houses must be constructed properly to ensure maximum performance of the pigs. A good hog house may not improve the health conditions of the animals but a poor one will certainly increase disease problem easily.

• For a small or backyard operations, cheap and locally available materials may be used such as bamboo and nipa.

• Hog houses should be constructed on a slightly sloping and well-drained area so that it will not become too muddy and convenient to work in.

• Permanent hog houses should have concrete floors for easy cleaning and to minimize the occurrence of parasites and diseases. Concrete floors must not be too rough to cause foot and leg problems nor too smooth to be slippery when wet.