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Heat Wave! How Do I Mitigate Breeding Failure

With the sudden increase in environmental temperature whether indoor or outdoor it is worth considering the following precautions in order to mitigate as much as possible breeding failure:

  • Spend more time with the weaning to service sows and the replacement gilts of the current service group

  • Ensure regular cooling of body temperature is available

  • Misting (improvise if no system in place)

  • Create and/or maintain wallows

  • Open all vents/windows/curtain sides

  • Check animals under shades as the sun moves through the day to ensure they remain in shade

  • Pay attention to the last 5 consecutive weekly service groups or the last two service batches

  • Check and maintain the water supply rate and manage water intake availability to all animals equally at feeding times

  • Ensure social order distress is managed (use stabilizing ‘catch’ boar influence if necessary…move them through the animal groups)

  • Maintain the recommended feed intake and consider early/late feeding…even if it means the whole herd to ensure no overall disturbance

  • Observe consecutive weekly service groups 6 to pre-farrowing or the 3 to 4 service batches consecutive from the 2 already being observed as above…paying attention to the points outlined above

  • Spend more time with the natural service and/or self-collect boars it is imperative that their normal body temperature is maintained

  • Regularly observe boars at rest through the day for any signs of distress

  • Record any with elevated body temperature

  • Consider increasing/ordering the semen supply to cover for the next 6-8 weeks any boar that experiences an elevated body temperature

  • Check and maintain the water supply rate

  • Maintain the recommended feed intake and consider early/late feeding

  • Ensure regular cooling of body temperature is available

  • Misting (improvise if no system in place)

  • Create and/or maintain wallows

  • Open all vents/windows/curtain sides

  • Check animals under shades as the sun moves through the day to ensure they remain in shade

Finally retain and serve your healthy cull sows as an insurance up to the 6 week pregnancy check


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