The sex ratio of a litter affects the behaviour of its female pigs until at least 16 weeks of age

Seyfang, Jemma; Plush, K. J.; Kirkwood, Roy N.; Tilbrook, Alan John; Ralph, C. R.

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2017.12.001

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The effects of a male-biased litter on reproduction were consistent with the literature, suggesting that gilts from a male-biased litter have been masculinized in utero (Clark et al, 1993;vom Saal et al, 1999;Bánszegi et al, 2012). Being able to determine the birth litter sex ratio using AGD would be beneficial in a gilt selection scheme as the sex ratio of the birth litter can affect behavior and elements of reproduction in pigs (Seyfang et al, 2017(Seyfang et al, , 2018.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Anogenital distance reflects the sex ratio of a gilt’s birth litter and predicts her reproductive success1

Seyfang

Ralph

Hebart

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Science

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Anogenital distance (AGD) has been used to reflect masculinization in litter-bearing species. As masculinization affects behavior and reproduction, AGD could be measured to assist in selecting gilts with a temperament more suited to commercial production and greater reproductive potential. We hypothesized that gilts from a male-biased litter would have a longer AGD and poorer reproductive performance. In Exp. 1, AGD and weight were measured at day 1, day 21, and week 16 of age for gilts from male-biased litters (≥60% males; n = 51) and female-biased litters (≥60% females; n = 51). Sow AGD was measured 3 d after farrowing. In Exp. 2, AGD was measured at gilt selection at approximately 24 wk of age and gilts followed to second parity. Litter sex ratio affected AGD at 16 wk of age, with gilts from female-biased litters having longer AGD (mean ± SEM, 9.1 ± 0.7 mm vs. 11.0 ± 0.6 mm, P = 0.013). Anogenital distance was not different on day 1 or day 21. There was no effect of sex ratio on weight at any time, and sow AGD was not associated with the sex ratio of her litter. Gilts with an AGD longer than the mean of 11.55 mm were heavier (mean ± SEM, 118.8 ± 0.4 kg vs. 117.7 ± 0.4 kg, P = 0.023), were achieved puberty earlier (179.6 ± 0.6d vs. 182.2 ± 0.6 d, P = 0.001), were mated younger (200.6 ± 0.6 d vs. 203.2 ± 0.6 d, P = 0.001), and were more likely to be mated (91% vs. 83%, P = 0.005) than gilts with an AGD shorter than the mean. Gilts with an AGD greater than 11.55 mm had a greater born alive litter size (11.79 ± 0.20 vs. 11.20 ± 0.19, P = 0.018) compared with gilts with an AGD shorter than 11.55 mm. At 16 wk, AGD was associated with sex bias and could be used as a selection tool to predict reproductive success of the first parity, with a longer AGD being associated with gilts that had been born into a female-biased litter and that had better reproductive performance.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Anogenital distance reflects the sex ratio of a gilt’s birth litter and predicts her reproductive success1

Seyfang

Ralph

Hebart

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Science

Self Cite

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“…Nevertheless, further studies reported that gilts from male-biased litters were more likely to have lower successful inseminations, higher insemination failures, lower mating success, fewer pigs born, and less teats as compared with gilts from female-biased litters [35,36,38,39]. Masculinized females from male-biased litters are also more likely to display male-like behaviors, are less likely to be fearful, and more likely to be aggressive than gilts from female-biased litters [40]. Aggression may lead to early removal from the herd, reduced sow productive lifetime [41], and could have important welfare implications [38].…”

Section: Birth Traits That Determine the Efficiency Of Replacementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gilt Management for Fertility and Longevity

Patterson

Foxcroft

2019

Animals

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Substantial evidence supports successful management of gilts as an absolutely necessary component of breeding herd management and the pivotal starting point for the future fertility and longevity of the breeding herd. Therefore, gilt management practices from birth have the potential to influence the future reproductive performance of the sow herd. A good gilt management program will address several key components such as birth traits that determine the efficiency of replacement gilt production; effective selection of the most fertile gilts for entry to the breeding herd; effective management programs that provide a consistent supply of service eligible gilts; and appropriate management of weight, physiological maturity, and a positive metabolic state at breeding. Good gilt management can largely resolve the existing gap between excellent genetic potential and the more modest sow lifetime productivity typically achieved in the industry. Investment in good gilt development programs from birth represents a foundational opportunity for improving the efficiency of the pork production industry.

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“…Scratch scores as an indicator of fighting and the presence of diarrhoea were recorded each time the piglets were weighed post weaning. Diarrhoea was defined as the presence of liquid faeces as described previously [17] and scratch scores were recorded based on the system used by Seyfang et al [18]. A schematic of the experimental timeline can be seen in Figure 1.…”

Section: Experimental Design and Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Single Faecal Microbiota Transplantation Altered the Microbiota of Weaned Pigs

Nowland

Torok

Low

et al. 2020

Life

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Weaning is a stressful time for piglets, often leading to weight loss and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A leading cause for these post-weaning problems is enteric dysbiosis and methods to improve piglet health at this crucial developmental stage are needed. This study aimed to determine whether an enteric dysbiosis caused by weaning could be corrected via a faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from healthy piglets from a previous wean. Two or four focal piglets per litter were assigned to one of two treatments; FMT two days post weaning (n = 21; FMT) or a control which received saline two days post weaning (n = 21; CON). FMT consisted of homogenised donor faeces administered orally at 3 mL/kg. Weaning occurred at 18 days of age and weights and faecal samples were collected on days 18, 20, 24 and 35. 16S rRNA amplicon analysis was used to assess the faecal microbiota of piglets. FMT increased Shannon’s diversity post weaning (p < 0.001) and reduced the scratch score observed at 24 days of age (p < 0.001). The bacterial populations significantly differed in composition at each taxonomic level. In FMT pigs, significant increases in potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli were observed. However, increases in beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus mucosae and genera Fibrobacteres and Bacteroidetes were also observed in FMT treated animals. To our knowledge, this is the first study to observe a significant effect on piglet faecal microbiota following a single FMT administered post weaning. Therefore, FMT post weaning can potentially alleviate enteric dysbiosis.

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The sex ratio of a litter affects the behaviour of its female pigs until at least 16 weeks of age

Cited by 11 publications

References 30 publications

Anogenital distance reflects the sex ratio of a gilt’s birth litter and predicts her reproductive success1

Anogenital distance reflects the sex ratio of a gilt’s birth litter and predicts her reproductive success1

Gilt Management for Fertility and Longevity

A Single Faecal Microbiota Transplantation Altered the Microbiota of Weaned Pigs

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