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The effect of farrowing pen size on pre-weaning mortality
The objective was to evaluate the effect of farrowing pen size on pre-weaning mortality. The study was carried out on a commercial breed-to-wean facility using a RCBD to compare 2 treatments: Standard (pen width = 1.52 m) and Increased (pen width = 1.68 m) pen size. The farrowing pens had the same design of farrowing crate, solid pen divisions, and perforated, plastic-coated metal floors. The sows used had been housed during gestation in either individual stalls or groups of 8. Replicates of 2 sows from the same gestation housing system (individual stall or group of 8), similar parity and breed date (±2 day) were randomly allotted to farrowing pen size treatment at d 112 of gestation when they were moved from the gestation to the farrowing facility. A total of 239 gilts and 287 first parity females were allotted to treatment. Management in the farrowing facility was in line with standard commercial practice. Data were recorded on litter performance variables from birth to weaning (22 ± 3 d). The experimental unit was the sow and data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS; the model included the fixed effect of treatment and the random effect of replicate. The Increased pen size treatment had a greater (P < 0.05) total number of piglets born (0.5 piglets) and weaned (0.4 piglets), but there was no effect of pen size on the number of piglets born alive, dead, and mummified. Additionally, pre-weaning mortality was not different (P > 0.05) between treatments. These results suggest that there was no benefit in reducing pre-weaning mortality for the Increased farrowing pen size. However, the study was carried out with young (parity 0 and 1) and relatively small animals; further research is warranted to evaluate the impact of farrowing pen size on pre-weaning mortality in older and larger sows.
Keywords: farrowing pen size, mortality, piglet