Impact of Management Systems on Reproductive Performance, Hematological Profiles, Rectum Temperature, Fecal Score and Fecal Microbiota in Primiparous Sows

Abstract Text: Management system can have a significant impact on the welfare of sows, especially the primiparous sows. A total of 90 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire; parity = 1) were used to assess the effect of management systems on reproductive performance, hematological profiles, rectum temperature, fecal score and fecal microbiota in pigs. Sows were managed from the 3^rd week after pregnancy to 1 week before delivery and distributed into 1 of 3 management systems. Management systems were: CON, stall management system; GM, group management system; SM, shoulder management system. Results showed that the number of primary survival piglets and weaned survival piglets per sow were higher in GM and SM compared to CON (P<0.05). Moreover, body weight loss (kg) from farrowing to weanling was meaningfully (P<0.05) reduced in GM and SM than that in CON (9.6, 10.0 vs. 12.6). Still birth in terms of percentage was significantly higher (P<0.05) in CON than that in GM and SM. In addition, in sows at d 50 of gestation, blood cortisol (4.1 vs. 2.6, 2.2 mg/dL), epinephrine (47.4 vs. 24.5, 27.5 pg/mL) and norepinephrine (98.0 vs. 84.5, 78.1 pg/mL) were increased (P<0.05) in CON compared with that in GM and SM. In the same way, group management and shoulder management reduced (P<0.05) the blood cortisol (2.2, 2.4 vs. 4.3 mg/dL), epineprine (30.9, 28.4 vs. 50.2 pg/mL) and norepinephrine (76.2, 86.5 vs. 106.6 pg/mL) at d 108 of gestation compared to that in CON. In conclusion, results implied that stall management and shoulder management system improved the litter size and decreased the still birth of suckling piglets from primiparous sows. It also indicated that GM and SM involved in lowering the blood parameters without any changes in the rectal temperature and fecal characteristics.

Keywords: blood, management, sow