Sow stress levels and behavior and piglet performances in farrowing crates and farrowing pens with temporary crating1

Abstract

Farrowing pens with temporary crating have been developed as a compromise between conventional farrowing crates and pens to better accommodate the welfare of both sow and piglets during lactation. However, not much is known about the behavioral and physiological consequences of early removal of confinement on the sow and piglets during lactation. The aim of this study was to assess the effects on sow and piglet performance of temporary crating until 3-d postpartum at 2 times points, immediately after confinement removal and 25 d into lactation. Sows were crated from 5-d prepartum either to weaning (permanently crated-PC group; N =14) or to D3 (83.0 ± 1.3 h) postpartum (Temporarily crated - TC group N = 13). Sow postural changes, activity, cortisol and IgA concentrations, and piglet body weight gain and behavior were assessed on D4 and on D25 postpartum, whereas piglet mortality was assessed throughout lactation. Data were analyzed using PROC GLM and PROC GENMOD of SAS. On D4 postfarrowing, TC sows were more active (10.9% vs. 7.1%; SEM: 0.8; P = 0.002), rolled more frequently (21.3% vs. 14.4%; SEM: 1.6; P = 0.008), and had lower IgA concentrations (139.7 vs. 75.2 µg/mL; SEM: 20.3; P = 0.040) than PC sows. No effects of housing were found (P > 0.05) on standing-to-lying movement or cortisol concentrations. No differences for any variables were found (P > 0.05) on D25. Mortality, body weights, and activity levels at the udder or in the pen of pigs born to PC sows did not differ (P > 0.05) from those of piglets born to TC sows on D4 nor on D25. This study indicates that removal of confinement on the 4th-d postpartum may have had small short-term positive effects on sow behavior and stress levels (as measured by IgA), and that it did not impair piglets' behavior and performance during lactation. Therefore, this work suggests that temporary crating limited to the first 3-d postpartum might be a feasible alternative to improve welfare under intensive production conditions.

Analysis of Hair Cortisol as an Indicator of Chronic Stress in Pigs in Two Different Farrowing Systems

“…Most earlier studies dealing with stress levels of crated and loose-housed sows in farrowing systems used cortisol measurement in saliva or blood and are, therefore, not directly comparable to this study ( 43 – 48 ). Lawrence et al ( 43 ) found higher plasma cortisol values around farrowing independent of the housing system.…”

Freedom to Grow: Improving Sow Welfare also Benefits Piglets

“…King et al [ 33 ] reported mortality to be highest when all crates were opened once the average litter age was 7 days, and suggested opening crates individually, as we did in the current study. Moreover, large litters with small piglets are particularly vulnerable; Goumon et al [ 34 ] found that litter size influenced weight gain in piglets, with larger litters having decreased weight gain. Thus, while opening crates on day 4 for smaller litters with larger, stronger piglets may work, a longer confinement may be beneficial where litters are larger, and piglets within the batch could have a lighter average birth weight.…”

“…This could indicate increased stimulation or stress when the crate is first opened as piglets interact more freely with the sow and the sow becomes more active in the pen. Indeed opening of the crate has been associated with short-time increased restlessness or stress in sows, as well as increased chasing of piglets [ 34 ], which could increase the stress experienced by the piglets. As samples were collected at pen level, this may also be a result of faeces from piglets which could have been mildly injured by the sows increased movement included in the sample.…”

Season effects on the suckling behavior of piglets

“…Studies that evaluated the behavior of piglets stress the importance of management effects, considering the type and housing system (Singh et al 2017, Goumon et al 2018, fiber supplementation on pre-weaning diets (Clouard et al 2018), the social environment and interaction of litters (Hong et al 2017), and artificial vocalization (Khonmee et al 2018, Moreira et al 2018. However, the effects of the thermal environment on the suckling behavior of piglets have hardly been explored, although such a characterization of the feeding behavior could serve as the basis for the idealization of strategies (environmental change, sow diet alterations, and animals handling) to ensure an adequate consumption of milk by the piglets, maximizing their survival and performance.…”