Are Sow Mortality Rates on the Rise?

Reports about increased sow death loss rates, up to 10% to 15% and HIGHER have been reported. Dr. John Deene at the University of Minnesota and others are looking at databases and posting dead sows to determine the cause of this increase. The results are not yet conclusive, but include musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, heart attacks, ulcers, body condition, genetic weakness, and diseases such as PRRS. There has always been a tendency for higher death losses due to hot weather, older sows, and around farrowing time, however, overall losses in some herds have recently risen dramatically, from less than 5% to over 10%. These losses cost producers a reported $400 to $500 per death, plus higher genetic input costs for replacement gilts. Also, increased sow mortality is discouraging for any production team - all the dead sows must be physically removed, often from gestation or farrowing crates, and then disposed of.

The Solution

One possible solution is to use a closed herd breeding program. There is significantly less disease risk when comparing closed herds to those that purchase replacement animals - approximately 95% of all swine diseases are brought into a herd by live animal replacements. In addition to better herd health control, internal gilt replacement allows producers the ability to raise more gilts, which also allows for greater selection pressure. Adequate gilt flow and development are essential to maintaining replacement rates, proper parity distribution, and to meet breeding targets. Internally raised replacement gilts are all raised under your own housing, nutrition, and management. Acclimation times and procedures can be suited to each specific operation. If sow death loss is an issue, a closed herd program may be the answer.

The Results

When Babcock’s Closed Herd™ Program is used, the average sow death loss is 4.3%, with a standard deviation of 1.0. These results are compiled from 9 herds with a combined total of over 10,000 sows, and the average combined vaccination cost for sows and gilts is only 9¢ per pig marketed. When you have stable herd health, your production team can focus their efforts at decreasing costs and improving efficiency, not dragging dead sows out of the barn.