REPRODUCTION failure or low fertility have always been the primary cause of high sow turnover rates within industry, but structural and skeletal problems - feet and legs - are now accounting for an increasing proportion of early sow cullings.
Previous human and companion animal nutritional studies have shown the benefit from Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on a range of health issues such as inflammatory joint problems and arthritis, lameness and heart disease.
Fish oils and fish meals are a good source of long chain Omega-3 fatty acids and are widely available for inclusion in commercial pig diets.
A recently completed study funded by the Pork CRC and QAF Meat Industries has demonstrated the effects of Omega-3 supplementation on sow replacement and reproductive performance in gilts and parity 1 sows.
* Extract from a full report in Pig Industry News, October 2 issue.
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