Trace mineral substitution in sows impact on claw scores and survival

Trace minerals are a nutritional requirement for sows and are vitally important for claw (hoof) health and development. There may be an opportunity to decrease the inclusion rate of trace minerals in sow diets while still seeing positive impacts if their absorption could be increased by partial substitution with the organic version of the trace mineral. Data were collected for multiple farrowing events including motion scoring, claw lesions, productivity, weight change, and feed intake. For each sow enrolled in the study, her date and reason for removal were also collected from production records. These data were gathered in order to assess whether there was an association between partial trace mineral substitution and these production variables, lameness, claw lesion scores, or longevity.