Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour
Cross-suckling, i.e. when an offspring nurses a female other than their own mother, occurs in pig production systems where sows are group housed during lactation. As production systems where several sows and their litters are housed together during lactation are getting more common, the need of know...
| Autor principal: | |
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| Formato: | H2 |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés sueco |
| Publicado: |
SLU/Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics (until 231231)
2012
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| Materias: |
| _version_ | 1855570635100520448 |
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| author | Alanko, Terhi |
| author_browse | Alanko, Terhi |
| author_facet | Alanko, Terhi |
| author_sort | Alanko, Terhi |
| collection | Epsilon Archive for Student Projects |
| description | Cross-suckling, i.e. when an offspring nurses a female other than their own mother, occurs in pig production systems where sows are group housed during lactation. As production systems where several sows and their litters are housed together during lactation are getting more common, the need of knowledge regarding cross-suckling increases. The overall aims with this thesis was to investigate how sow behaviour and productivity are associated with the occurrence of cross-suckling, and to investigate consistency in sow nursing behaviour related to cross-suckling.
The study included information about the first 4 parities of 40 LxY sows kept in outdoor and indoor production environments. Sows were single housed the first 2 weeks after farrowing and group housed (4 or 5 sows per group) from 2 weeks after farrowing until weaning, 7 weeks after farrowing. Cross-suckling, nursing behaviour and sow time budgets were registered during 6 hours of continuous direct observation one day week 4 and one day week 6 after farrowing. Sow weight and back fat depth were recorded at farrowing, 2 weeks after farrowing and at weaning. Piglets were weighed at day 4 post partum (pp), day 14 pp and at weaning.
The results showed that sows that allowed cross-suckling week 4 lost on average less back fat between week 2 and 7 pp (p = 0.002). The trend was the same for week 6 (not significant). Sows that allowed cross-suckling had smaller litters (week 4: p = 0.012; week 6: p = 0.029). Sows willingness to allow cross-suckling is repeatable within lactation (between week 4 and week 6: r = 0.36, p <0.001) but not over lactation.
In conclusion, cross-suckling is not a long term individual trait of the sow; it is affected by the environment and by body condition. Sows with smaller litters were more prone to allow cross-suckling. |
| format | H2 |
| id | RepoSLU4139 |
| institution | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| language | Inglés swe |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | SLU/Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics (until 231231) |
| publisherStr | SLU/Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics (until 231231) |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | RepoSLU41392012-04-30T11:51:30Z Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour Korsdi vid grupphållning av suggor under laktation : samband med suggors produktivitet och beteende Alanko, Terhi Cross-suckling allosuckling group housing pig production piglet sow Cross-suckling, i.e. when an offspring nurses a female other than their own mother, occurs in pig production systems where sows are group housed during lactation. As production systems where several sows and their litters are housed together during lactation are getting more common, the need of knowledge regarding cross-suckling increases. The overall aims with this thesis was to investigate how sow behaviour and productivity are associated with the occurrence of cross-suckling, and to investigate consistency in sow nursing behaviour related to cross-suckling. The study included information about the first 4 parities of 40 LxY sows kept in outdoor and indoor production environments. Sows were single housed the first 2 weeks after farrowing and group housed (4 or 5 sows per group) from 2 weeks after farrowing until weaning, 7 weeks after farrowing. Cross-suckling, nursing behaviour and sow time budgets were registered during 6 hours of continuous direct observation one day week 4 and one day week 6 after farrowing. Sow weight and back fat depth were recorded at farrowing, 2 weeks after farrowing and at weaning. Piglets were weighed at day 4 post partum (pp), day 14 pp and at weaning. The results showed that sows that allowed cross-suckling week 4 lost on average less back fat between week 2 and 7 pp (p = 0.002). The trend was the same for week 6 (not significant). Sows that allowed cross-suckling had smaller litters (week 4: p = 0.012; week 6: p = 0.029). Sows willingness to allow cross-suckling is repeatable within lactation (between week 4 and week 6: r = 0.36, p <0.001) but not over lactation. In conclusion, cross-suckling is not a long term individual trait of the sow; it is affected by the environment and by body condition. Sows with smaller litters were more prone to allow cross-suckling. Korsdi, det vill säga när en avkomma diar någon annan hona än deras mor, förekommer bland grisar i produktionssystem där suggor hålls i grupp under diperioden. Ju vanligare dessa produktionssystem blir, desto mer ökar behovet av kunskap om korsdi. Målet med den här studien var att undersöka hur suggbeteende och produktion är kopplat till förekomsten av korsdi, och undersöka om suggans benägenhet att tillåta korsdi är upprepbart. Studien baseras på information från de 4 första kullarna från 40 LxY suggor som hölls i både utomhus- och inomhusmiljö. Suggorna hölls i individuella grisningsboxar de två första veckorna efter grisning och flyttades sedan till en gruppbox (4 eller 5 suggor per grupp) där de stannade till avvänjningen som skedde när smågrisarna var 7 veckor gamla. Korsdi, digivningsbeteende och suggans tidsbudget observerades med direktobservationer under en dag vecka 4 och en dag vecka 6 efter grisning. Suggvikt och hull registrerades vid grisning, 2 veckor efter grisning och vid avvänjning. Smågrisarna vägdes vid dag 4 efter grisning, dag 14 efter grisning och vid avvänjningen. Resultaten visade att suggors benägenhet att tillåta korsdi eller inte är upprepbart inom diperiod (vecka 4 till vecka 6: r = 0,36, p < 0,001) men inte mellan olika kullar. Suggor som tillät korsdi vecka 4 tappade i genomsnitt mindre fett mellan vecka två och 7 efter grisning än suggor som inte tillät korsdi (p = 0,002) och trenden var densamma för vecka 6 (dock icke signifikant). Dessutom hade suggor som tillät korsdi mindre kullar (vecka 4: p = 0,01; vecka 6: p = 0,029). Sammanfattningsvis, korsdi är inte en långsiktig upprepbar individuell egenskap hos suggan utan påverkas av produktionsmiljö och hullstatus. Kullstorlek påverkar suggors benägenhet att tillåta korsdi; suggor med mindre kullar är mer benägna att tillåta korsdi. SLU/Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics (until 231231) 2012 H2 eng swe https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/4139/ |
| spellingShingle | Cross-suckling allosuckling group housing pig production piglet sow Alanko, Terhi Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| title | Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| title_full | Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| title_fullStr | Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| title_short | Cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| title_sort | cross-suckling when sows are group housed during lactation : associations with sow productivity and behaviour |
| topic | Cross-suckling allosuckling group housing pig production piglet sow |