Farrowing behaviour and stillbirth in two environments: An evaluation of the restraint-stillbirth hypothesis

Outdoor farrowing huts facilitate a less restricted maternal behaviour in sows compared with sows kept indoors in farrowing pens. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are behavioural differences between primiparous sows kept outdoors in farrowing huts and indoors in pens, and whether the maternal behaviour during the second parity, when all sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts, would differ between sows that have experienced the indoor or the outdoor environment, respectively, during their first parturition. A total of 26 Yorkshire × Swedish Landrace sows were studied. Of these, 11 sows were housed outdoors in farrowing huts during both parturitions (group = OUTOUT). The other 15 sows were kept indoors in a barn with single farrowing pens during their first parturition. During their second parturition, sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts (group = INOUT). The behaviour was video recorded from 2 h prepartum to 48 h postpartum. The sows' responsiveness to playbacks of a piglet's screams was tested on days 2 to 3 postpartum. Parity 1: during the last 2 h prepartum, OUTOUT sows had a higher proportion of observations in the sternal lying position ( P < 0.01). During parturition, OUTOUT sows changed posture more often ( P < 0.05) and were lying less ( P < 0.05) than INOUT sows. All sows in both groups responded with 'lifting head' towards the playback of piglet scream, whereas 100% of OUTOUT sows and only 43% of INOUT sows thereafter were 'getting up' ( P < 0.01). Parity 2: There were no behavioural differences between INOUT and OUTOUT sows. In conclusion, it is not problematic for a second parity sow with initial maternal experience from an indoor farrowing pen to be kept outdoors in farrowing huts during its following farrowing.

Section: Generalcontrasting

confidence: 99%

The effect of farrowing environment and previous experience on the maternal behaviour of sows in indoor pens and outdoor huts

Wülbers-Mindermann

Berg

Illmann

et al. 2015

“…The probability of stillbirth was shown to increase with litter size, sow parity and farrowing duration (Fraser et al, 1997;Leenhouwers et al, 1999;Canario et al, 2006;Quesnel et al, 2008). .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Colostrum production by sows: variability of colostrum yield and immunoglobulin G concentrations

Quesnel

2011

132

101

Colostrum provides newborn piglets with energy, immunoglobulins and growth, thereby playing an essential role in piglet survival. However, colostrum yield and composition are highly variable among sows. Some of the factors involved in this variability have been identified. The aim of the study was to confirm previous findings on a large number of animals and to investigate other potential factors of variation, such as the process of farrowing and the morphological changes of the mammary epithelium that occur during the 24 h post partum. The experiment was conducted on 16 Large White (LW) and 56 Landrace (LR) 3 Large White (LR 3 LW) crossbred sows of mixed parities and their litters. Most farrowings were induced at 113 days of gestation and all farrowings were attended. Each piglet was weighed at birth and 24 h after farrowing started (t 24 ). Colostrum ingestion by individual piglets was estimated using piglet weight gains from birth to t 24 . Colostrum production by sows was estimated by summing up colostrum intakes by each piglet of the litter. Colostrum was collected at the onset of farrowing (t 0 ) and at t 24 to determine concentrations of immunoglobulins G (IgG), Na and K. Analyses of correlations and multiple regressions were performed to identify the variables involved in variation of colostrum yield and IgG concentrations. Colostrum yield was not related to litter size and weight (P . 0.1). It was negatively correlated with the number of stillborn piglets (r 5 20.33, P 5 0.005) and within-litter variation of piglet birth weight (r 5 20.24, P 5 0.04). It was not related to the Na/K ratio in the colostrum, which is an indicator of the integrity of the mammary epithelium. When sows were categorised according to their level of colostrum yield, sows that produced a low yield of colostrum had more stillborn piglets at birth than the other sows (P , 0.05) and tended to have a longer birth interval during the early process of parturition (P , 0.1). At t 24 , concentrations of IgG in the colostrum were positively correlated with the Na/K ratio in the colostrum (r 5 0.53, P , 0.001), which indicates the concomitance of the cessation of IgG transfer to the colostrum and the changes in the morphology of the mammary epithelium. This study points out the need for future research on the role of the hormones involved in both the process of parturition and lactogenesis in the relationship between stillbirth, process of parturition and colostrum production.

“…In addition, crating of the sow during farrowing can cause prolonged -E-mail: cfh@sund.ku.dk farrowing, as sows in crates have lower oxytocin levels in the blood (Verhovsek et al, 2007;Oliviero et al, 2010). Several authors have reported a correlation between prolonged farrowings and increase in stillborn piglets (Fraser et al, 1997;Borges et al, 2005;Canario et al, 2006), and indeed Cronin et al (1996) and Oliviero et al (2010) observed more stillborn piglets among sows in farrowing crates compared with sows that were loose during farrowing. On the other hand, Cronin et al (2000), Weber et al (2007) and Pedersen et al (2011) failed to detect such a difference.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Moustsen

Hales

Lahrmann

et al. 2013

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.