Modern hyperprolific sows are increasingly susceptible to health challenges. Their rapid growth rates predispose them to locomotor disorders, while high metabolic demands, reduced backfat thickness, and increased protein accretion heighten their vulnerability to heat stress and dystocia. Additionally, prolonged farrowing negatively affects the oxidative and inflammatory status of these females. Additionally, prevalent conditions such as gastric ulcers and cystitis raise ethical, welfare, and economic concerns. Despite the several studies related to sow nutrition, there are no studies which compile and extrapolate nutrition approaches from the rearing period and their impact on sows’ health and longevity. Also, the aim of our review was to shed light on gaps that require further investigation. Controlling body condition scores is crucial for maximizing productivity in sows. During gestation, high-fiber diets help maintain optimal body condition and prevent constipation, particularly during the peripartum period. Antioxidants offer a range of beneficial effects during this critical phase. Additionally, probiotics and acidifiers can enhance gut health and lower the risk of genitourinary infections. On the day of farrowing, energy supplementation emerges as a promising strategy to reduce farrowing duration. Collectively, these strategies address major health challenges, enhancing welfare and promoting sow’s longevity.

This study evaluated the performance of gestating and lactating sows supplemented with tributyrin from gestation until the end of lactation. Additionally, it assessed the effects of this supplementation on pig growth performance during the nursery phase. A total of 148 commercial-line sows (DB90 Brasil; parity 1–4; initial weight: 201.7 ± 12.2 kg) were used during gestation and lactation, along with 180 weaned pigs. A randomized block design was utilized with two dietary treatments during gestation and lactation, and a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement during the nursery phase. Data on sow body composition and productivity during gestation and lactation, as well as piglet performance during nursery, were collected. Treatment effects and interactions were analyzed using ANOVA with the MIXED procedure of SAS Version 9.0 (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Sows fed tributyrin tended to weigh 3.05 kg more (p = 0.053) and had 6.51% less backfat accumulation prepartum (p = 0.099). Supplementation reduced stillborns by 35.47% (p = 0.032) and increased litter weight at birth by 10.14% (p = 0.018). Additionally, there was a trend toward an 18.73% reduction in weight variability (p = 0.053) with more piglets weighing ≥1.4 kg. Sow and litter performance during lactation were not affected. Piglets from sows supplemented with tributyrin showed a trend for higher feed intake immediately post-weaning (p = 0.056). Tributyrin supplementation during gestation reduced stillborn rates and increased litter weight at birth.

This study evaluated the effects of graded dietary barley malt extract (BME) supplementation on growth performance, fecal consistency, immune parameters, antioxidant status, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, and gut microbiota composition in nursery piglets. A total of 144 weaned piglets (24 days of age; 7.02 ± 1.08 kg) were allocated to four treatments containing 0, 0.33, 0.66, or 0.99% BME for 42 days. Performance variables were assessed at the pen level, and laboratory analyses were performed using one representative piglet per selected pen. No consistent dose–response effects were observed for body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, or diarrhea incidence throughout the nursery period. A linear increase in feed conversion ratio was detected during the pre-starter II phase ( P = 0.023), but no cumulative performance effects were observed over the overall nursery period. Antioxidant enzyme activities, leukocyte populations, and fecal SCFA concentrations were unaffected by BME inclusion ( P > 0.05). Microbial alpha diversity indices were unchanged; however, specific microbial taxa, including Veillonellaceae, Mitsuokella , and Mogibacterium , differed among inclusion levels. Overall, dietary BME up to 0.99% did not improve growth performance, immune parameters, antioxidant status, or intestinal fermentation in nursery piglets, although modest shifts in microbial composition were observed.

This study evaluated the effects of different umbilical cord care techniques in newborn piglets. A total of 212 piglets from 15 sows were allocated in a randomized block design. Treatments included: No Intervention (NI) – no intervention was performed in the cord at birth; Tying and Cutting (TC) – the cord was tied onto itself and cut below the knot; and String, Cutting, and Iodine (SCI) – the cord was tied with string, cut, and immersed in 10% iodine solution. The following variables were analyzed: colostrum intake, incidence of hemorrhage, healing time, incidence of umbilical hernias, growth performance and economic viability. No treatment effects were found among treatments for colostrum intake, performance, incidence of hemorrhage, or umbilical hernia occurrence. Piglets in the TC group showed a slightly shorter healing time than those in the NI and SCI groups (P = 0.035). Birth and weaning weights were negatively correlated with healing time—lighter piglets exhibited slower healing, whereas faster-healing piglets achieved higher weaning weights. In conclusion, additional umbilical care such as iodine application did not improve umbilical healing and performance. Under the conditions of this study, additional procedures such as iodine application did not prove extra benefits compared with a simple tying technique

A seleção genética para a hiperprolificidade na suinocultura trouxe benefícios significativos, como o aumento do número de leitões nascidos, mas também apresentou desafios, incluindo o aumento dos casos de distocia. A distocia, caracterizada por complicações durante o parto, resulta em maior duração do processo e representa riscos tanto para as porcas quanto para os leitões. Embora a incidência de distocia seja geralmente baixa, há uma variabilidade considerável na literatura sobre o que define um parto eutócico e um parto distócico, especialmente no contexto de melhorias genéticas constantes que influenciam as características das fêmeas e de suas leitegadas. Objetivou-se com esta revisão explorar as causas que levam à ocorrência de partos distócicos em porcas hiperprolíficas, bem como abordar estratégias de prevenção, intervenção e suas implicações no desempenho produtivo.