Managing prolific sows in tropical environments

Tummaruk, Padet; Rensis, F. De; Kirkwood, Roy N.

doi:10.1002/mrd.23661

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 101 publications

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“…According to Table 5, Biensen et al (1996) found that the oestradiol concentration of lactating sows in summer was lower than that of lactating sows in winter. Meanwhile, some scholars found that the concentrations of thyroid hormone, glucagon and leptin were reduced for lactating sows at 28–30°C (Renaudeau, Noblet, & Dourmad, 2003; Tummaruk et al, 2022). In the future, the heat production and food intake of lactating sows suffered from heat stress can be improved by injecting these three hormones into them.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review on the effect of light–thermal–humidity environment in sow houses on sow reproduction and welfare

Xie

et al. 2023

Reprod Domestic Animals

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The environment in sow houses is the key to restrict sow production due to its significant effect on sow growth and reproduction. In this article, the effect of light, thermal and light–thermal–humidity environment in sow houses is systematically reviewed for sow reproduction and welfare according to the existing literature. The results show the optimal ambient temperature range for sows is approximately 16–22°C, as well as the lowest and highest critical temperature are 16 and 27°C respectively. Meanwhile, the increase of relative humidity from 50% to 70% is equivalent to the increase of effective temperature by 0.9°C in sow houses. In addition, the evaluation indexes are summarized to the future research direction is proposed according to the reviewed results. It can be concluded that the current research mainly focuses on the effect mechanism of light–thermal–humidity environment on sow growth and reproductive performance, as well as the optimal regulation range of light–thermal–humidity environment. In particular, it is a popular topic to further study the effect of light–thermal–humidity environment on the genetic material of sows, as well as metabolic parameters and body composition of their offspring. The above conclusions can contribute to guiding the regulation of light–thermal–humidity environment in sow houses and improving the sow welfare.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review on the effect of light–thermal–humidity environment in sow houses on sow reproduction and welfare

Xie

et al. 2023

Reprod Domestic Animals

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“…However, this has led to an observed increase in piglet pre-weaning mortality rates, raising concerns about economic losses and animal welfare. These issues may also affect sow milk yield and piglet growth rates [ 11 , 12 ]. Thongkhuy et al [ 9 ] identified a link between the thickness of sow backfat at 109 days of gestation and their milk production from Days 3 to 10 of lactation, observing that every 1 mm increment in backfat thickness resulted in an additional 270 g of milk yield during this timeframe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Fiber Supplementation in Sows during the Transition Period on Constipation, Farrowing Duration, Colostrum Production, and Pre-Weaning Piglet Mortality in the Free-Farrowing System

Dumniem,

Boonprakob,

Panvichitra

et al. 2024

Animals

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This study investigated how dietary fiber supplementation during the transition period in sows affects constipation, farrowing duration, colostrum production, milk yield, and pre-weaning piglet mortality in the free-farrowing system. A total of 92 Landrace × Yorkshire sows and their 1272 offspring were included in the study. Sows were divided into two groups by parity: control (n = 41) and treatment (n = 51). The control group was fed a standard lactation diet 7 days before farrowing, whereas the treatment group received the same diet with 75 g/day of a dietary fiber supplement. The dietary fiber content analyses were 4.30% and 5.53% in the control and treatment groups, respectively. Sows were fed with 3.89 ± 0.92 kg per day with a diet containing 17.8% crude protein, 3732 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy, and 1.1% lysine. Parameters including farrowing duration, litter characteristics, and the fecal condition of sows were measured. Piglet mortality rates were recorded at 3, 7, and 21 days of lactation. Sows had an average farrowing duration of 216 ± 159 min, with litter sizes of 13.8 ± 4.2 piglets per litter, and a 7.4% stillbirth rate. The treatment group showed a lower constipation rate compared to the control group (17.6% vs. 46.3%, p = 0.003). Farrowing duration did not significantly differ between groups, but the treatment group experienced a 43.6 min shorter duration. In sows with litter sizes of ≥16 piglets per litter, the farrowing duration for sows in the treatment group tended to be shorter than that of the control groups (202.0 ± 37.9 vs. 287.5 ± 41.3 min, p = 0.115). The mean colostrum intake of piglets in the control and treatment groups averaged 424.0 ± 13.7 g and 421.8 ± 12.6 g, respectively (p = 0.908). Likewise, the milk production of sows from Days 3 to 10 and from Days 10 to 17 of lactation in the treatment group (7.34 ± 0.27 and 8.76 ± 0.43 kg/day, respectively) did not differ from that of the control group (7.85 ± 0.30 and 9.55 ± 0.47 kg/day, respectively, p > 0.05). Pre-weaning piglet mortality was slightly lower in the treatment group (13.4% vs. 17.3%, p = 0.085). Across groups, piglet mortality rates within 3, 7, and 21 days were 10.3%, 11.9%, and 15.4%, respectively. Piglets with a ≤200 g colostrum intake had a higher pre-weaning mortality compared to those with a higher intake (p < 0.05), except for the 201–300 g intake (p = 0.472). In conclusion, introducing dietary fiber to sows during the transition period reduced constipation and tended to decrease farrowing duration, especially in sows with large litters. Additionally, it lowered pre-weaning piglet mortality by 3.9% in the free-farrowing system. Nonetheless, providing sows with a 75 g/day dietary fiber supplement for only 7 days before farrowing was not enough to enhance colostrum and milk production, nor did it lead to an increase in piglet colostrum consumption.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the pig industry, litter size at birth has significantly increased over the last few decades due to intensive genetic selection. In Thailand, the total number of piglets born per litter (TB) has also increased during this period (Thongkhuy et al., 2020; Tummaruk et al., 2022). From 1998 to 2001, the average TB in commercial swine herds in Thailand was 9.9, ranging from 1 to 28 piglets in the major maternal line breeds, such as Landrace and Yorkshire (Tummaruk et al., 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, litter size at birth in Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows can be as high as 17.0 to 18.0 piglets per litter (Taechamaeteekul et al., 2022; Thongkhuy et al., 2020), representing an increase of 7.0–8.0 piglets per litter during the last two decades. However, a high litter size not only has the potential to increase profitability in the pork industry but also presents challenges in managing sows and piglets during the peripartum and lactation periods (Tummaruk et al., 2022). Farrowing complications, such as prolonged farrowing duration, a high incidence of stillbirth, dystocia and inadequate colostrum consumption by newborn piglets frequently occur in sows with TB ≥16, often referred to as ‘hyperprolific sows’ (Juthamanee & Tummaruk, 2021; Oliviero et al., 2019; Peltoniemi et al., 2020; Udomchanya et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors affecting birth weight and stillbirth in sows housed in a tropical environment

Adi,

Boonprakob,

Kirkwood

et al. 2023

Reprod Domestic Animals

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This study analysed data from a commercial swine herd in Thailand equipped with a free‐farrowing housing system, comprising 17,196 piglets from 1318 litters, to explore the impact of sow and litter characteristics on the piglet birth weight and the incidence of stillbirth. The piglets were classified into four groups based on the total number of piglets born per litter (TB): ≤9 (n = 1434), 10–12 (n = 3232), 13–15 (n = 6537) and ≥16 (n = 5993). Sows were classified into four groups based on parity number: 1, 2–4, 5–7 and ≥8. The piglets were categorized into quartiles based on their birth order ranking: Q1 (n = 4786), Q2 (n = 4143), Q3 (n = 3808) and Q4 (n = 4456). Piglet birth weight was individually measured before colostrum ingestion. On average, TB, the number of live‐born piglets and the incidence of stillbirth were 13.1 ± 3.7, 11.5 ± 3.8 and 6.3%, respectively. Among these litters, 26.6% had TB numbers ≥16. The average piglet birth weight was 1.37 ± 0.36 kg, with 18.3% of piglets weighing ≤1.0 kg at birth. Piglet birth weight was influenced by birth order ranking, as Q4 piglets were found to be heavier than piglets born in Q1–Q3 (p < .001). Moreover, the percentage of piglets with a birth weight of ≤1.0 kg increased from 5.9% in litters with TB of ≤9–25.3% in litters with TB of ≥16 (p < .001). Additionally, primiparous sows had lower piglet birth weights compared to sows with parity numbers 2–4, 5–7 and ≥8 (p < .001). Piglets born in the fourth quartile (Q4) had a higher risk of stillbirth compared to those born in the first (Q1), second (Q2) and third (Q3) quartiles (12.5% vs. 2.2%, 4.1% and 6.6%, respectively, p < .001). The incidence of stillbirth in litters with TB ≥16 was also higher than that in litters with TB ≤9 and 10–12 (p < .05). Furthermore, sows with parity numbers ≥8 had a higher incidence of stillbirth (9.7%) compared to primiparous sows (4.0%, p < .001), sows with 2–4 parity (5.2%, p < .001) and sows with 5–7 parity (7.6%, p = .003). In summary, a high incidence of stillbirth was found in piglets born in the last quartile of litters, in litters with >16 piglets and for sows with parity numbers ≥8. Piglets born in the last quartile of litters were heavier than those born in the first to third quartiles.

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Managing prolific sows in tropical environments

Cited by 18 publications

References 101 publications

A review on the effect of light–thermal–humidity environment in sow houses on sow reproduction and welfare

A review on the effect of light–thermal–humidity environment in sow houses on sow reproduction and welfare

Impacts of Fiber Supplementation in Sows during the Transition Period on Constipation, Farrowing Duration, Colostrum Production, and Pre-Weaning Piglet Mortality in the Free-Farrowing System

Factors affecting birth weight and stillbirth in sows housed in a tropical environment

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