Development of evidence-based feeding strategies for lactating sows using novel and evolving feeding technologies.

计算机化饲养技术正变得越来越普遍，并正在加拿大猪肉生产商中实施。这些技术减少了向猪输送饲料所需的劳动力，促进了数据收集，并通过混合具有不同营养密度的日粮，提供了密切匹配估计（每日）营养需求的机会。对于母猪来说，这是一个非常强大的工具，因为在整个繁殖周期中，营养需求会发生很大的变化。本研究项目将探索利用计算机喂养技术为哺乳母猪生成和应用精确喂养程序，探索精确喂养对母猪和后代生产力的影响，并将为母猪在分娩前（过渡）和哺乳期间的喂养提出循证建议。对哺乳母猪使用精确饲养技术的潜在好处包括优化母猪性能（例如，产仔率，终身生产力），降低饲料成本和环境影响（最大限度地减少养分供应过剩），并为加拿大养猪场的劳动力短缺提供解决方案。拟议的研究还将有助于培训三名研究生和三名本科生，他们将获得在学术界或加拿大猪肉行业从事营养学家和/或研发人员职业所需的技能。

Computerized feeding technologies are becoming more common and are being implemented by Canadian pork producers. These technologies reduce the labour required to deliver feed to pigs, facilitate data collection, and provide the opportunity to closely match estimated (daily) nutrient requirements by blending diets that have differing nutrient densities. For sows, this is a very powerful tool, as nutrient requirements change considerably throughout the reproductive cycle. This research program will explore the use of computerized feeding technologies to generate and apply precision feeding programs for lactating sows, explore the effects of precision feeding on sow and offspring productivity, and will develop evidence-based recommendations for feeding sows during the pre-farrowing (transition) and lactation periods. The potential benefits of using precision feeding technologies for lactating sows include optimizing sow performance (e.g., litter growth rates, lifetime productivity), reducing feed costs and environmental impact (minimize nutrient oversupply), and providing solutions to labour shortages on Canadian pig farms. The proposed research will also contribute to the training of three graduate students and three undergraduate students, who will be provided with the skills required to pursue careers in academia or the Canadian pork industry as nutritionists and/or research and development personnel.