Milk flows from the sow with EP199
At the pig production Strandgården in the South of Denmark, farm manager Poul-Egon Jensen openly share a challenge many pig producers can relate to: The sows struggled to produce enough milk. It affected both the piglets and the staff. Today, the pig producer has cracked the code to a higher milk yield.
EP199 in the sow feed made the difference
Following the veterinarian’s advice, Poul-Egon and the owner, Erling Rasmussen, decided to change the sow feed. A fermented protein in the feed turned out to be exactly what was needed.
„I’ve never had sows that milk better than now – 95% of them perform really well and can be nursing sows multiple times,” says Poul-Egon.
From frustration to progress
Before EP199, the lack of milk was a daily struggle – even before the herd was infected with PRRS. After the change in feed, a clear improvement was seen on the farm:
- Weaning weight of 8 kg
- From 33–34 to 38.5 piglets per sow per year – a significant increase
- Sows with better gut health and fewer stomach ulcers
„We hardly see any stomach ulcers anymore, and the gut flora seems healthier,” says Poul-Egon.
Image: Poul-Egon Jensen (left) and owner Erling Rasmussen (right) use EP199 in the sow feed to increase milk production in sows.
How EP199 is used in the sow feed
EP199 partially replaces existing protein sources in the feed. In the feed at Strandgården, EP199 partially replaces soybean meal and wheat – providing the sows the extra boost they need:
- 4 % EP199 in the gestation feed
- 8 % EP199 in the lactation feed
Documented effect – noticeable in practice
A large-scale study from the University of Copenhagen with over 30,000 sows shows that EP199 improves gut flora diversity. That aligns very well with what Poul-Egon experiences in his daily work.
“The bigger and healthier piglets we transfer to the weaner section, the easier everyday life becomes for all of us – including those who receive our pigs”.
Want to hear more about EP199?
Sign up to be contacted – or reach out to us directly and have a talk about what EP199 can do for your sow herd.
Pia Sørensen, Feed Advisor, +45 25 34 04 04
