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When you are breeding pigs for profit you will make either a loss or a profit according to the number of pigs weaned and marketed by each sow. It usually takes about seven pigs from each sow to come out even. Some newborn pigs will not live and some will not be marketed because of size, health and a number of reasons.
Gilts should be bred to farrow when they are 11 to 13 months of age but only if they are well grown. If the gilt is not mature you will not have quality pigs from them. The gilts will come into heat at 5 to 6 months of age but it is not a good idea to breed them until 11 to 13 months of age. I usually wait until the third heat period as the litters are usually larger. A gilt should weigh from 225 to 250 pounds at breeding time.
I also think the gilts should be bred during the first or second day of the heat period rather than during the last day. Usually it takes two services 24 hours apart. The sows that are not bred will usually come in heat at intervals of about three weeks.
The period of time between the breeding of the sow and the farrowing of the litter is known as the gestation or pregnancy period and lasts from 112 to 115 days.
Sows are better bred in the fall so that they will farrow in the spring when the weather is warm. Usually they can farrow two or more times per year.
Try not to have the filts in too fat of a condition. Feed them a balanced growing ration but limit it to two-thirds ration. Limited feeding of gilts up to flushing time can add an extra pig or two to the litter size and also reduce the cost of feeding the breeding herd.
Flushing is the feeding of the sows to insure their good healthy and a gain of up to two pounds per day from about two weeks before breeding until after they are bred. Usually a ration fed each day consists of one-half to three-quarters of a pound of a balanced protein and mineral supplement, one pound of oats and enough corn to produce daily gains of 2 pounds during this flushing period. Do not let the sows become too fat.
The boar will also require feeding and attention as this affects the health of the pig litter.
Sometimes a person breeding pigs will just ignore the boar but I feel it is necessary to feed him enough protein, mineral supplements and vitamins. He could become a poor breeder and lack vitality if not fed properly. The boar should receive about the same kind of feed ration fed to the gilt during the flushing period. He should be kept in a thrifty condition and not be overweight. If possible, place the boar on a lot from 1/4 to 1/2 acre in size, which has alfalfa, red clover, ladino clover or some other forage crop. Be sure to have enough water for the boar and place the water at the other end of where the forage crop is to enable him to get enough exercise.
The boar can actually be mated to 50 or 60 gilts during a breeding season. Don't try to have a too young boar service too many females, perhaps no more than 20 or 30 sows if under one year old.
With proper care and feeding of both the gilt and the boar you should have lots of healthy pigs.
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