How to use the RescueDeck?
You need one RescueDeck per 12 sows to allow
suffcient capacity. Piglets to be placed in a
RescueDeck should stay with their mother for at
least the frst 72 hours after birth. Colostrum intake
is essential. Subsequently, the RescueDeck may be
used for small piglets and runts, but also for well
growing piglets. TheDeck is preferably placed above
the sow, to ensure that:
- Vocalisations of the sow stimulate
milk intake by the piglets;
- The climatic conditions are adjusted
to the needs of the piglets;
- All in – All out is maintained.
In the RescueDeck, piglets receive RescueMilk until
four days before weaning. Additionally the piglets
are fed HeavyPig 1 from 4 days until day 14 of age.
This is a very palatable meal feed, which stimulates
feed intake and supplies extra energy for the piglets.
Between day 10 and day 14 the change from
HeavyPig 1 to HeavyPig 2 is made. HeavyPig 2 is a
prestarter feed with the unique Micrum structure,
leading to an optimal feed intake and health status.
This nutritional concept is in alignment with the
rapid digestive development of your young piglets.
Experiences in practice
Provimi already installed more than 5000
RescueDecks worldwide. Immediately after putting
in use, results improve: piglet mortality declines and
weaning weights improve. The litter index also
improves, because less foster sows are needed.
Apart from the effect on mortality, the RescueDeck
system leads to more homogenous litters at
weaning and more uniform groups at delivery.
Figure 1 shows the results of a study where piglets
with lagging growth on day 4 were placed in the
RescueDeck. It is clear from Figure 1 that the piglets
developed well in the RescueDeck. Even more
importantly: these piglets showed better growth
rates after weaning, thereby improving the
uniformity.
Feeding by hand or with the RescueCup
Feeding RescueMilk to large or weak litters will
diminish the need for foster sows. On Provimi’s
research farm, RescueMilk was given in addition to
the prestarter. The combination improved the feed
intake by 60% (Figure 2). This is not only important
in the suckling period: the growth potential of the
piglets after weaning is also higher, because of the
higher feed intake capacity.
It is also possible to place RescueCups in the
farrowing pen. With the RescueCups, all piglets,
or the large and vulnerable litters may be fed.
Supplying RescueMilk during two weeks, from day
2, will result in one additional piglet weaned per
sow. Piglet mortality will decrease, and fewer
piglets need to be placed with a foster sow.
Table 1 shows the results of a commercial farm
during the frst three months after installation of
the RescueCups. With hand feeding and with the
RescueCup, providing RescueMilk in combination
with the HeavyPig prestarter programwill lead to
optimal results.
Day after birth
400
300
200
100
0
RescueMilk+Prestarter
Prestarter
Figure 2: Effect of RescueMilk on feed intake.
0-2 3-7 8-11 12-14 15-18 19-21 22-25 26-27
30.00
25.00
20.00
15.00
10.00
5.00
0.00
Age (days)
Piglets raised by sow
Piglets RescueDeck
0
21
35
61
Figure 1: Body weight development of laggard
piglets in the RescueDeck, compared
to piglets remaining with the sow.
Table 1: ResultswithRescueCups on a commercial farm
RescueCup Controle Difference
Birthweight (kg)
1.37
1.39
-0.02
Weaningweight (kg) 7.60
7.05 0.56
Number ofweanedpiglets 12.18
11.55 0.63
Litterweight (kg)
92.66 80.85 11.81
Mortality frombirth
13.00
16.00
-3
toweaning (%)