Nurse Sows’ Reproductive Performance in Different Parities and Lifetime Productivity in Spain

Iida, Ryosuke; Yatabe, Y; Piñeiro, Carlos; Koketsu, Yuzo

doi:10.5539/jas.v11n10p29

Cited by 5 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…While the use of foster-in and nurse-sow techniques can increase the number of PW and produce heavier litter weights at weaning, it could decrease the foster or nurse sow’s post weaning reproductive performance due to increased loss of body reserves and impaired metabolic state in the lactating sow [ 22 , 49 ]. However, it has been found that nurse sows had farrowing rates and PBA similar to non-nurse sows in any parity, and the only difference was that they had a prolonged weaning-to-first-mating interval [ 50 ]. Consequently, the nurse sows produced 3–7 more herd-life annualized PW than non-nurse sows.…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farm data analysis for lifetime performance components of sows and their predictors in breeding herds

Koketsu

Iida

2020

Porc Health Manag

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Our objectives in this review are 1) to define the four components of sow lifetime performance, 2) to organize the four components and other key measures in a lifetime performance tree, and 3) to compile information about sow and herd-level predictors for sow lifetime performance that can help producers or veterinarians improve their decision making. First, we defined the four components of sow lifetime performance: lifetime efficiency, sow longevity, fertility and prolificacy. We propose that lifetime efficiency should be measured as annualized piglets weaned or annualized piglets born alive which is an integrated measure for sow lifetime performance, whereas longevity should be measured as sow life days and herd-life days which are the number of days from birth to removal and the number of days from date of first-mating to removal, respectively. We also propose that fertility should be measured as lifetime non-productive days, whereas prolificacy should be measured as lifetime pigs born alive. Second, we propose two lifetime performance trees for annualized piglets weaned and annualized piglets born alive, respectively, and show inter-relationships between the four components of the lifetime performance in these trees. Third, we describe sow and herd-level predictors for high lifetime performance of sows. An example of a sow-level predictor is that gilts with lower age at first-mating are associated with higher lifetime performance in all four components. Other examples are that no re-service in parity 0 and shorter weaning-to-first-mating interval in parity 1 are associated with higher fertility, whereas more piglets born in parity 1 is associated with higher prolificacy. It appears that fertility and prolificacy are independent each other. Furthermore, sows with high prolificacy and high fertility are more likely to have high longevity and high efficiency. Also, an increased number of stillborn piglets indicates that sows have farrowing difficulty or a herd health problem. Regarding herd-level predictors, large herd size is associated with higher efficiency. Also, herd-level predictors can interact with sow level predictors for sow lifetime performance. For example, sow longevity decreases more in large herds than small-to-mid herds, whereas gilt age at first-mating increases. So, it appears that herd size alters the impact of delayed gilt age at first-mating on sow longevity. Increased knowledge of these four components of sow lifetime performance and their predictors should help producers and veterinarians maximize a sow’s potential and optimize her lifetime productivity in breeding herds.

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Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farm data analysis for lifetime performance components of sows and their predictors in breeding herds

Koketsu

Iida

2020

Porc Health Manag

Self Cite

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“…The proportion of sows inseminated 0–3 days postweaning were significantly higher for nurse sows in fifth and sixth parity when compared with nonnurse sows. Similarly, the proportion of sows inseminated 7–20 days postweaning was significantly higher for second, third, fifth, and sixth parity nurse sows when compared with nonnurse sows (Iida et al, 2019). These findings are most likely caused by lactational oestrus, as nurse sows are typically selected with focus on sow body condition but also appetite, and thus, the subsequent reproduction of these sows will not be compromised when being selected as nurse sows, and these facts may influence on results when analyzing retrospective data.…”

Section: Potential Risks When Increasing the Length Of The Lactation ...mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This study revealed that 7.2% of the sows were used as nurse sows at least once in their lifetime. Being used as a nurse sow increased the lactation period with on average 9.1 days, but the farrowing rate in the subsequent litter did not differ between nurse sows and nonnurse sows (Iida et al, 2019). The proportion of sows inseminated 0–3 days postweaning were significantly higher for nurse sows in fifth and sixth parity when compared with nonnurse sows.…”

Section: Potential Risks When Increasing the Length Of The Lactation ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only a few studies have focused on the subsequent litter size of nurse sows versus nonnurse sows by following the subsequent reproduction on a significant number of sows (Bruun et al, 2016; Iida et al, 2019; Pokorná et al, 2020). When looking at 68,241 subsequent farrowing's from the above‐mentioned study (see Section 4.1) showed that Nurse 1 sows had a higher litter size (18.1 vs. 18.7 total born piglets per litter) than nonnurse sows (Bruun et al, 2016).…”

Section: Potential Risks When Increasing the Length Of The Lactation ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selecting the optimal strategies when using nurse sows for supernumerous piglets

Bruun

Pedersen

Thorup

et al. 2023

Molecular Reproduction Devel

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Hyper‐prolific sows frequently do not have a sufficient number of functional teats for their piglets to nurse which has led to the use of nurse sows to manage these surplus piglets. This review discusses strategies for using nurse sows and factors that influence preweaning survival and weight gain of their litters, as well as those that affect their subsequent rebreeding performance. Rearing piglets using a nurse sow can be as successful as piglets reared with their biological mother and is thus a powerful management tool to decrease preweaning piglet mortality. Selecting a young sow as nurse sow is beneficial for piglet survival; however, piglets nursing first parity sows often have a lower daily weight gain than piglets nursing multiparous sows. A litter of uniform surplus piglets is preferably handled using the two‐step nurse sow strategy. A consequence of nonuniform litters will most likely be an increased mortality and decreased weaning weight among the smallest piglets within a litter. The subsequent fertility of nurse sows is not compromised. There is an increased risk of lactational oestrus when using nurse sows leading to an increased weaning‐to‐oestrus interval; however, litter size in nurse sows is identical or even moderately higher in the subsequent parity compared with nonnurse sows.

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“…With a fertilization rate close to 90% [4], the number of early embryos can potentially reach 18-27. However, at farrowing, litter size is reduced to 9-13 piglets per sow due to the influence of many factors [5,6]. One factor we must emphasize is the spontaneous conceptus loss.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the amino acid metabolism in placental function response to fetal loss and low birth weight in pigs

Huang

Xiong

et al. 2022

J Animal Sci Biotechnol

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The fertility of sows mainly depends on the embryo losses during gestation and the survival rate of the post-farrowing piglets. The selection of highly-prolific sows has been mainly focused on the selection of genotypes with high ovulatory quota. However, in the early- and post-implantation stages, the rate of embryo losses was increased with the increase of zygotes. Among the various factors, placental growth and development is the vital determinant for fetal survival, growth, and development. Despite the potential survival of fetuses with deficient placental development, their life-conditions and growth can be damaged by a process termed intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). The newborn piglets affected by IUGR are prone to increased morbidity and mortality rates; meanwhile, the growth, health and welfare of the surviving piglets will remain hampered by these conditions, with a tendency to exacerbate with age. Functional amino acids such as glycine, proline, and arginine continue to increase with the development of placenta, which are not only essential to placental growth (including vascular growth) and development, but can also be used as substrates for the production of glutathione, polyamines and nitric oxide to benefit placental function in many ways. However, the exact regulation mechanism of these amino acids in placental function has not yet been clarified. In this review, we provide evidence from literature and our own work for the role and mechanism of dietary functional amino acids during pregnancy in regulating the placental functional response to fetal loss and birth weight of piglets. This review will provide novel insights into the response of nutritionally nonessential amino acids (glycine and proline) to placental development as well as feasible strategies to enhance the fertility of sows.

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Nurse Sows’ Reproductive Performance in Different Parities and Lifetime Productivity in Spain

Cited by 5 publications

References 9 publications

Farm data analysis for lifetime performance components of sows and their predictors in breeding herds

Farm data analysis for lifetime performance components of sows and their predictors in breeding herds

Selecting the optimal strategies when using nurse sows for supernumerous piglets

A review of the amino acid metabolism in placental function response to fetal loss and low birth weight in pigs

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