Lethargy and low water intake by sows during early lactation: A cause of low piglet weight gains and survival?

Abstract

Daily water intake was monitored for 40 sows during 5 days before and 14 days after farrowing. Intake averaged 9-12 l day-1 before farrowing, dropped to a mean of 6 l on the day of farrowing and increased gradually over 4 days to a plateau of ~14 l day-1. Sows varied greatly in the degree of reduction in intake during the day of farrowing and the first 3 days of lactation, and those sows with low water intake on these days had low average weight gains by the piglets in the same period. Most of the piglet deaths in the study (14 of 19) occurred in the 10 litters whose dam consumed ≤ 6 l day-1 of water from Day 0 to 3 of lactation. Monitoring of 14 sows by time-lapse video recording showed that gross physical activity (percentage of time standing and sitting) varied greatly among sows during the first 3 days after farrowing, with the less active sows having significantly lower water intake. We suggest that some sows are excessively lethargic in the first days after farrowing and fail to consume adequate water, and that this could contribute to low milk production in early lactation.

Analysis of water, feed intake and performance of lactating sows

“…The mean water intake of the present study was more than 7 l day −1 higher than the observed water intake of Fraser and Phillips (1989), Seynaeve et al (1996) and Bauer (1982). Water wastage could have been one reason for the differences but all studies used similar water systems and the water wastage should have been comparable.…”

“…Water intake is influenced by feed composition (Oliviero et al, 2009;Robert et al, 1993), amount of feed intake (Seynaeve et al, 1996) and ambient temperature (Quiniou et al, 2000). Fraser and Phillips (1989) estimated a positive correlation between the water intake of sows and their piglets' weight gain indicating a positive effect on sow performance. To our knowledge no literature is available which has observed the relationship of water intake with feed intake, relative body weight loss and weaning weight of piglets.…”

Effects of meloxicam (Metacam®) on post-farrowing sow behaviour and piglet performance

“…Valros et al (2003) showed that sows with low piglet mortality are more active (in terms of total time standing) on day 3 post farrowing than those with high piglet mortality, and these differences are even clearer when sows are compared on the basis of crushing events. Furthermore, Fraser and Phillips (1989) reported that sows that are very passive (as percentage of time lying) during the first few days post partum may not drink enough water and therefore may produce less milk, resulting in a poor performance of their piglets. It might be speculated that, by increasing total time standing, the water intake may be increased, thus allowing more milk to be produced and a better growth of piglets to be achieved.…”

Water in Pig Nutrition: Physiology, Allowances and Environmental Implications

“…Water consumption of lactating sows is estimated to be at least 40 YO higher than that of non-lactating sows, though it is affected by many factors such as stage of lactation (colostral period or advanced lactation; Fraser & Phillips, 1989), feed intake (Friend, 1971 ;Bauer, 1982;Gill et al 1988;Gill, 1989), dietary fibre content (Zoiopoulos et al 1982), NaCl intake (Friend & Wolynetz, 1981), environmental temperature (Bauer, 1982;Kuperus, 1988), type of water dispenser (Diblik, 1986), litter size and hence the piglet's presumed demand for milk (Lightfoot & Armsby, 1984) and health status (Madec et al 1986). …”