The effect of environment on behavioural activity, ACTH, (β-endorphin and cortisol in pre-farrowing gilts

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: 97%

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

Moustsen

Hales

Lahrmann

et al. 2013

“…Compared to loose-housing, these systems require also less space and are easier to manage, that is handling of animals and manure removal (Blackshaw et al, 1994;Barnett et al, 2001;Baxter et al, 2012;Hales et al, 2013). Nevertheless, crates are currently under discussion because the movement of the sows, and thus the natural animal behaviour and welfare are highly impaired (Lawrence et al, 1994;Jarvis et al, 1997). As a consequence, in countries like Norway, Sweden or Switzerland farrowing crates are already forbidden by law.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Confinement of sows for different periods during lactation: effects on behaviour and lesions of sows and performance of piglets

Lambertz

Petig

Elkmann³

et al. 2015

Alternatives to farrowing crates with continuous confinement of the sow are urgently needed because the animal welfare is negatively impacted. Given the increase of herd sizes, practical experience with loose-housing is needed to force the implementation of these systems in the field. Next to aspects of labour efficiency, detrimental piglet mortality rates that may occur during the first days postpartum (pp) is a major criticism. Therefore, loose-housing after a crating period limited to the first days pp might be a feasible alternative to improve welfare under intensive production conditions. The aim was to investigate the effect of crating sows during lactation for different periods on their behaviour and integument alterations and on piglets' performance. Gilts from a commercial herd were observed from 5 to 26 days pp and housed in farrowing crates (1.85 × 2.50 m) that could be altered between confinement crates and loose-housing pens. Animals were divided into three groups, that were either crated continuously from birth until weaning (Group A, n = 55), until 14 days pp (Group B; n = 54) or 7 days pp (Group C, n = 59). The behaviour of six randomly selected gilts per group was video recorded from 5 to 26 days pp and analysed by time sampling technique. Lesions on the legs, shoulder and lumbar vertebra were scored on days 7, 14 and 25 pp. Piglets were weighed weekly, causes of losses recorded and weight losses of gilts measured. Not different between groups ( P > 0.05), animals spent 72 to 76% lying laterally, 14 to 17% lying in abdominal or semi-abdominal position, 9 to 10% standing and 1 to 3% sitting. B-sows were lying longer in week 3 and 4 of lactation compared to A-and C-sows ( P < 0.05). The incidence of slight shoulder lesions rose from <1% on day 7 to 4% on day 14 and 14% on day 25 pp. On day 25 pp, 5% of all studied gilts showed moderate shoulder lesions. Piglet mortality rates were 11.4%, 12.9% and 13.3% for groups A, B and C, respectively ( P > 0.05), whereas almost 90% of the losses occurred in the first week pp. In conclusion, loose-housing of lactating gilts after a reduced postnatal crating period of 7 days affected neither the activity level of the gilts and lesions on the integument nor pre-weaning mortality. Therefore, it is recommended to allow sows to move around to some extent during the later lactation period.

“…It is possible that the inadequacy of nest-building behaviour in crated environments may influence the duration of farrowing and therefore the incidence of stillbirths. The lack of space and substrate when sows are kept in standard farrowing crates precludes feedback from nest-building behaviour and has been shown to constitute a stress for the sow (Lawrence et al, 1994;Jarvis et al, 1997 andDamm et al, 2003). Further work dissociating the effects of space and substrate demonstrated that space restriction per se induced elevated hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) activity which is deemed indicative of physiological stress .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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.