How to Flush a Breeding Gilt

Flushing a gilt helps improve the health of the offspring.

Flushing is a term that applies to breeding livestock and specifically a female sow, known as a gilt. According to the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, gilt development is a critical part of breeding healthy offspring. Flushing is a feed management technique that can help improve ovulation rate and survival of embryos. If you are unsure of proper gilt management, talk to your local veterinarian for advice.

Instructions

1. Isolate the gilt prior to target breeding age. Engormix.com recommends separating the young sows at least 120 to 150 days prior to breeding age. First heat usually occurs around 200 to 210 days old. All sows should be placed in one pen to stimulate sexual maturity.

2. Install a feeding system in the pen and avoid feeding off the floor. This will allow for full-feeding, or flushing.

3. Increase the feed by as much as half two weeks prior to breeding. Backfat is a good measure for optimal breeding. Two week after increasing feed, measure backfat, select gilts with .6 to .7 inches of backfat for breeding. The target weight should be around 280 pounds.

4. Breed the gilt by exposing it to boars. Once pregnant, reduce the feed back the normal to avoid overfeeding.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the temperature in the gilt pen around 64 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Fewer gilts reach puberty during the summer months. Set your pen up for winter maintenance. Write down the days of the gilt's first heat cycle. This can help you manage the flushing system and prepare for the next cycle.

• Putting gilts fence to fence with boars may help to stimulate puberty. If unable to place pens fence to fence, expose the gilt to boars once or twice a day. They must have nose to nose contact.

• Ensure that indoor pens have proper ventilation systems and test air quality often. If pollutants and ammonia build up in the air, this can undetermined the flushing process. Engormix.com suggests any labor used to manage the pig herd have specialized training for flushing and breeding.

References

• North Carolina State University; Gilt Development and Management; Glen Almond, John Deen;
• Engormix.com; Gilt Development, Management and Parity Control; Keith Thornton; 2011