Oestrus stimulation is a crucial element of pig reproduction. Effective handling of this element of sow and gilt management should be a goal of every producer.
Piglet production in fact begins with sow fertilization because the nutrition scheme used in sows before oestrus and then during gestation has a decisive influence on embryonic and foetal mortality.
It is of vital importance to provide post-weaning sows with a nutritional stimulus to achieve the so-called flushing effect.
After weaning, sows have a poor health status and suffer from a negative energy balance. In order to efficiently improve their nutritional state in the period after weaning and before the next insemination, flushing is recommended.
Increasing the sows’ feed intake several days before mating has a favourable effect on ovulation.
The flushing method (increase in energy intake) consists of supplementing the daily feed ration with a special feed mix 10-14 days before the expected oestrus. The method makes it possible to increase the litter size by 1-2 piglets. It must be noted that in terms of the number of embryos flushing is a more effective method than a fixed low or a fixed high feed dosage regimen used in sows during piglet rearing.
