Perinatal mortality in the pig: environmental or physiological solutions?

To reduce mortality among suckling piglets, lactating sows are traditionally housed in farrowing crates. Alternatively, lactating sows can be housed in farrowing pens where the sow is loose to ensure more behavioural freedom and consequently a better welfare for the sow, although under commercial conditions, farrowing pens have been associated with increased piglet mortality. Most suckling piglets that die do so within the first week of life, so potentially lactating sows do not have to be restrained during the entire lactation period. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate whether confinement of the sow for a limited number of days after farrowing would affect piglet mortality. A total of 210 sows (Danish Landrace × Danish Yorkshire) were farrowed in specially designed swing-aside combination farrowing pens measuring 2.6 m × 1.8 m (combi-pen), where the sows could be kept loose or in a crate. The sows were either: (a) loose during the entire experimental period, (b) crated from days 0 to 4 postpartum, (c) crated from days 0 to 7 postpartum or (d) crated from introduction to the farrowing pen to day 7 postpartum. The sows and their subsequent litters were studied from introduction to the combi-pen ∼1 week before expected farrowing and until 10 days postpartum. Confinement period of the sow failed to affect the number of stillborn piglets; however, sows that were crated after farrowing had fewer live-born mortality deaths (P < 0.001) compared with the sows that were loose during the experimental period. The increased piglet mortality among the loose sows was because of higher mortality in the first 4 days after farrowing. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that crating the sow for 4 days postpartum was sufficient to reduce piglet mortality.

Section: Stillbirthsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Confinement of lactating sows in crates for 4 days after farrowing reduces piglet mortality

Moustsen

Hales

Lahrmann

et al. 2013

“…The functional importance of neonatal piglet behaviours is self-evident from the description of physiology. One of the most frequently reported piglet mortality syndromes is hypothermia and starvation leading to piglet lethargy, subsequent crushing and death (English and Morrison, 1984;Weary et al, 1996;Edwards, 2002). However, thermal comfort represents one of the areas where there is potential for parent-offspring conflict.…”

Section: Parturition Early Lactation and Nest-occupationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative farrowing systems: design criteria for farrowing systems based on the biological needs of sows and piglets

Baxter

Lawrence

Edwards

2011

114

112

The construction of a suitable farrowing environment is a continuing dilemma: the piglet's needs must be matched with those of the sow and the farmer during the main phases that constitute farrowing: nest building, parturition and lactation. Difficulties exist in resolving the various conflicts of interest between and within these three parties (e.g. sow v. farmer: space needed for nest building v. space needed to maximise the amount of farrowing accommodation, or sow v. sow: ensuring the survival of the current litter v. maintaining condition for future litters). Thus, the challenge is to resolve these conflicts and design a system that maximises sow and piglet welfare while maintaining an economically efficient and sustainable enterprise. In order to successfully design a farrowing and lactation environment, it is necessary to consider the biological needs of both the sow and her litter. The natural behaviour of the sow has been well documented and very little variation exists between reports of peri-parturient behaviour observed in extensively kept domestic sows and their wild counterparts. The failure for domestication to significantly alter these behavioural patterns provides evidence that they are biologically significant and that the commercial farrowing environment should attempt to accommodate this behavioural repertoire. In addition, the behavioural needs of the piglets, as well as the physiological needs of both sows and their offspring should be considered. This article aims to review the considerable body of literature detailing the behavioural repertoire of sows and their offspring during the different phases of farrowing, and the accompanying physiological processes. The focus is on identifying biological needs of the animals involved in order to synthesise the appropriate design criteria for farrowing and lactation systems, which should optimise both welfare and animal production.

“…Insufficient colostrum intake has been identified as one of the major causes of neonatal mortality in pig production (Edwards, 2002). Indeed, 50% of pre-weaning mortality occurs within 3 days after birth (Tuchscherer et al, 2000) and mainly affects piglets characterized by low birth weight and low weight gain, which can be related to low colostrum intake (de Passillé and Rushen, 1989;Milligan et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of colostrum intake on piglet survival and immunity

Devillers

Dividich

Prunier

2011

228

154

Colostrum intake from birth to 24 h after the onset of parturition ( T 24 ) was estimated for 526 piglets from 40 litters. Plasma concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG), lactate, glucose and cortisol were determined at T 24 for six piglets per litter. Plasma IgG concentration was also assayed at weaning (28 days) on the same piglets. Rectal temperature was measured at T 24 on all piglets. Mortality was recorded until weaning and comparisons were made between piglets that died before weaning and those that were still alive at weaning. The piglets that died before weaning had lower birth weight, lower colostrum intake, lower weight gain between birth and T 24 , and had a lower rectal temperature, higher plasma cortisol concentration and lower plasma IgG and glucose concentrations at T 24 than piglets still alive at weaning. In addition, a higher proportion of piglets that died before weaning had difficulty taking their first breath after birth and were affected by splayleg. Considering all piglets, colostrum intake was positively related to rectal temperature and plasma glucose concentration and negatively related to plasma cortisol concentration at T 24 . Plasma IgG concentration at T 24 was explained by colostrum intake, IgG concentration in the ingested colostrum, birth weight and birth rank (P , 0.0001). Plasma IgG concentration at weaning was related to plasma IgG concentration at T 24 (r 5 0.54; P , 0.0001) and to colostrum intake (r 5 0.32; P , 0.0001). Finally, body weight was explained by colostrum intake, birth weight and age until 6 weeks of age (P , 0.0001). These results show that colostrum intake is the main determinant of piglet survival through provision of energy and immune protection and has potential long-term effects on piglet growth and immunity.