The body condition of sows is a crucial aspect in swine production, as it directly influences the health and productivity of the animals. For this reason, measuring sow body condition to identify whether the sow is thin, normal (ideal) or fat, is key to optimize reproduction.

Today’s sow genetics have advanced toward hyperprolific sows, so rigorous analysis of body condition is essential to ensure sow welfare, promoting both farm efficiency and litter quality. The measurement of backfat in sows allows to know if they are in a good body condition, and if they are adjusted to the moment of the productive cycle in which the sow is. In addition, this objective assessment helps farm workers to regulate the feeding of sows according to their condition, increasing the ration to those thinner sows that have a lower percentage of backfat than necessary and vice versa.

Backfat thickness is key in swine production

Although backfat thickness should be maintained optimal throughout the reproductive cycle, there are four critical moments when we should perform the analysis:

  • Gilts: to confirm that they have adequate backfat before the first insemination (13-15 mm).
  • Weaned sows: to check their condition at weaning and decide if they are in the right condition for insemination (13-16 mm); if there are sows below 12 mm they should not be covered.
  • Sows 28 days after insemination: to check if the body condition has recovered and they will be able to carry to term without problems.
  • At the entrance of maternity: to make sure that they have the necessary amount of back fat because if they are very overweight, it is possible that they do not eat the necessary amount of feed with the milk production problems that this entails (16-18 mm), in addition to the possible dystocia that can appear during farrowing. On the other hand, if the female enters maternity thin, her milk quality and the growth of her litter may be compromised, as well as the success of the new gestation (ovulation rate may be compromised) and she is more prone to suffer injuries and lameness (Marco Faccenda, 2005).