The St. Johns Herald

Exercise Is Essential for Pregnant Brood Sow

Pregnant brood sows generally get enough exercise but sometimes they do not. The value of exercise to the expectant mother of a litter of pigs is indicated by some work at the Kansas station.

One group of sows had corn alone plus plenty of exercise. Another group had corn alone in exactly the same quantity but was confined to a small pen. A third group had corn and tankage and exercise while a comparison group had these feeds in the same amounts but was closely confined. All sows were bred to the same boar.

The pigs at farrowing time did not vary much in size but there was considerable variation in the life and activity, the pigs from the sows getting exercise being more active. The most important result of the comparison was that the pigs from the sows given exercise were much heavier at 30 days of age. The pigs from sows getting corn alone and exercise were 53 per cent heavier and those from sows getting corn, tankage and exercise, 20 per cent heavier than the pigs from comparison groups getting no exercise.

The pigs from the sows getting corn, tankage and exercise, were the heaviest.