Influence of rearing system on sows' prolificacy during gestation.
In females reared inindividual crates until early control of gestation and in common crates (8-16heads), prolificacy did not reach values that differ depending on the rearingsystem: there is a statistically insignificant difference in t-test(p>0.05). In gestating sows reared in individual crates, the difference wassignificant during the entire gestation period compared to group rearing:11.51±0.85 compared to only 11.13±0.68 in collective rearing. Though there arebetter results from the point of view of sows’ prolificacy when reared inindividual crates during the entire gestation, this rearing system is notrecommendable because of the high financial efforts caused by technology andbecause separation has negative influences on sows’ behaviour depending on reproductionand health state of gestating females.
Fecundity and sow gestation lost by pen type
The aim of this study was to determine the fertility and pregnancy loss of sows F1 hybrid, Large White x Landrace at ages 2-5 years, in intensive industrial exploitation with artificial insemination. After the artificial insemination until 28 days of pregnancy, animals were housed in individual and open pens - with the goal to see how the type of pen influences on fecundity and pregnancy loss, calculated at 28 and 56 days. The results were analysed using χ 2 test. Fecundity at 28 days for sows housed in individual pens was higher than for sows housed in group pens, but the difference was not statistically significant (χ 2 test p≥0.05). The same was found in terms of the index of fecundity diagnosed in 56 days. Pregnancy loss from 28 to 56 days after the artificial insemination was 1.83 ± 0.40 for sows housed in individual pens and 2.14±1.38 for sows housed in group pens, the difference being statistically not significant (χ 2 test p≤0.05). The higher the number of animals in group pen, gestation losses were higher reaching 16.24±1.12 for sows kept in pens with a capacity of 10 heads, very significant difference comparing to animals kept in pens 5 and 7 (χ 2 test p≤0.001). The difference between animals kept in pens of 7 and 10 animals was not statistically significant (χ 2 test p≥0.05). The best results were obtained if up to 28 days after the artificial insemination sows were housed in individually and in late gestation when the sows were housed in group pens with size varied between 5 to 7 sows.
Sow behaviour involved in the crushing of piglets in outdoor farrowing huts—a brief report
Abstract This study focuses on maternal activities involved in the trapping of piglets by the sow’s body in outdoor farrowing systems and examine the mother–piglet context leading either to the death of piglets or to their survival. The behaviour of six Large-White×Landrace sows and their litters was continuously video recorded at their first and second parity, during the 40 h following parturition. Crushing mainly occurred at evening and night, during the first 12 h of farrowing and involved changes between lying, sitting and standing positions, as well as between udder and side lying. No piglet died from savaging. Nevertheless, aggressive behaviours of sows were observed, particularly in their first maternal experience. The immediate context of trapping was related to the labour of the sow and to the feeding and resting of piglets. The immediate crushing context was related to active avoidance of restless piglets while lying down, as well as sitting and standing behaviours. These results are discussed in terms of differential reactions of the sow to suckling attempts of piglets.