How to Breed a Flushing Gilt
A gilt is defined as a young female hog or an immature sow. Flushing refers to a feeding program that increases the gilt's feed ration prior to breeding. This program increases the gilt's vitality. It also, according to the North Carolina Swine Veterinary Group, increases average litter size for gilts by one pig. The process is useful only on the first breeding of the gilt and not used in preparation for subsequent litters.
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Instructions
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Select the gilts that will become part of the breeding herd when the gilts are about 210 pounds. Breeding gilts are usually selected on breed and body traits. Gilts not selected are fed to slaughter weight before being marketed.
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Flush the gilts. This, according to the North Carolina Swine Veterinary Group, is done by increasing feed rations by at least 50 percent for up to two weeks before exposing the gilt to the boar. Continue the feed ration until mating.
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Expose the gilts to mature boars in a neutral pen. Remember that gilts should not be exposed to boars until they are at least 160 days old.
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Decrease the gilt's feed ration to normal rations after mating. Overfeeding the gilt early during pregnancy may cause the loss of fetuses. Even with normal or slightly increased feed rations, the gilt should gain 100 pounds between breeding and farrowing.
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Tips & Warnings
Give the gilt some time to adjust to new surroundings if it is being transported from another herd. Give them time to get back on their feed before trying to increase feed to flush the gilt.
If possible, rear the gilts in an outdoor pen. Gilts raised in an outdoor pen reach sexual maturity and can be bred earlier to increase production.
Once the gilt gives birth, increase rations during the lactation. Gilts with small litters can serve as foster mothers to pigs born in large litters the sows cannot feed.
References
- Photo Credit pig image by pearlguy from Fotolia.com
