DanMilk & Pump'n'Grow

What is a milk substitute for piglets?

A milk substitute is used in the farrowing pen to support the sow’s own milk production where there is a large number of piglets. The need for milk supplementation for pigs has increased over recent years. You can choose to provide the milk substitute manually in a trough or bowl, but the vast majority choose to buy an automatic milking system.

Sows today are producing many live-born pigs. Providing a milk replacer gives the sow a helping hand in caring for them all. Milk replacement helps to reduce mortality in the farrowing pen, increase growth and give the piglet a good start, with less cross-fostering, no need for nursing sows and the expense of keeping them, as well as biosecurity benefits and, most importantly, less stress on the piglets themselves.

We often see that piglets also become more active with the sow during lactation. This means that the sow herself produces more milk as they quickly get used to higher intakes.

Milk supplements for piglets – what to look for?

There are many different types of milk substitutes for piglets, and it can often be difficult to see the difference between them. If you wish to buy a milk substitute for the farrowing pen, it is important to compare prices based on the raw material content of the milk substitute.

There are several milk substitutes on the market that contain soy and other grain products. Piglets have the easiest time digesting milk replacers which are made from pure milk with a high protein and fat content. You can use a milk powder that contains vegetable proteins, but you must remember that the production results will be affected by this.

What is a milk cup system?

A milk cup system is an automatic feeding system of milk substitutes for piglets located near to the sow to ensure that the piglets have access to fresh milk around the clock through a milk cup placed in each farrowing pen.