EFFICIENCY OF OBTAINING AND RAISING PIGLETS DURING DIFFERENT DURATIONS OF LACTATION IN SOWS OF MOTHERLY BREEDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37000/abbsl.2025.116.21Keywords:
sow, piglet, duration of lactation, reproductive cycle, economic efficiency.Abstract
The results of a study on the impact of the duration of the lactation period on the reproductive qualities of sows and the economic efficiency of their maintenance and rearing of suckling piglets of different breeds are presented. The study was conducted on sows of the Landrace and Large White breeds under two lactation duration regimes: standard (28 days) and shortened (21 days). It was found that Landrace sows with a traditional lactation period had the longest reproductive cycle — 151.2 days — and the lowest number of farrowings per year — 2.4 times. It was found that reducing the duration of lactation contributed to a reduction in annual feed costs for Landrace sows by 6.3% and for Large White sows by 6.9%. The largest reduction in costs was observed in the use of compound feed for lactating sows — 20.0% in Landrace animals and 21.4% in their Large White counterparts, which is explained by the reduction in the duration of the suckling period. Per piglet, feed costs decreased by 12.0% for Landrace animals and by 11.7% for Large White sows. The reduction in the duration of the lactation period has a clear positive effect on the efficiency of stall equipment use, which is manifested in a decrease in depreciation costs per farrowing and per piglet. It has been proven that the reduction in the duration of lactation in sows of both breeds contributed to a significant reduction in the cost of raising piglets. The operating cost of raising one piglet decreased by 14.9% in Landrace sows and by 14.7% in Large White sows. The income from the sale of one piglet decreased: in Landrace animals by 16.0%, in Large White animals by 16.2%, and the overall profitability of rearing increased by 11.1% and 11.0%, respectively. Thus, optimising the duration of lactation is an appropriate measure for improving the economic performance of pig farming.
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