For some time now, Katie, PigEasy’s Director of Marketing (DOM)… (daughter of mine)…. has been encouraging me (nagging me) to pen some blogs that elaborate on what makes the MealMeter System (MMS) the clear tool of choice for feeding sows.
Since its inception at Klocke Farms, we have continued to refine its use to solve intake issues at critical points throughout the gilt and sows’ reproductive cycle.
To effectively solve a problem, you must first accurately define the problem. Get to the root of the problem.
The problem: Sows and gilts are not consuming enough feed in the weeks prior to mating to enable them to fully express their genetic potential to reproduce. The geneticists and nutritionists have done an outstanding job of creating an animal that can produce. As I see it, the hangup to her expressing it is INTAKE of feed. More specifically, the 3-4 weeks prior to ovulation and mating.
Katie’s blog, Reproduction is a Luxury, explains why full intake is key to a gilt or sow expressing her full lifetime reproductive potential.
What I’ve learned to be an absolute truth throughout my career of weaned pig production is that anything that inhibits a sow or gilt from consuming her true desired intake on a daily basis has a negative effect on her next litter. That means both the number of pigs and the size of those pigs. We call these days “Limited Intake Days” (LID). There it is, a new acronym for you. This acronym is fitting because it accurately describes what it does to the sows’ productivity, her next litter, and her lifetime production, if not corrected. It puts a LID on it.
There are numerous causes for a LID, and they vary depending on where they occur. That’s where the MealMeter System (MMS) comes in. The MMS is a very adaptable feeding tool that can be put in important areas throughout the sow farm to overcome these LIDs.
— Dave, PigEasy, LLC
Dave’s Acronym Glossary
OMG – oh my gravy
DOM – Daughter of Mine aka Head Honcho aka Director of Marketing aka Katie
LID – Limited Intake Day. days where a sow is unable to consume her full daily ration
MMS – MealMeter system, the system developed by Dave to maximize feed intake with minimized waste
