Key Lab of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Prev Vet Med. 2010 Jun 1;95(1-2):16-22. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.03.011. Epub 2010 Apr 10.
Modern commercial swine farrowing crates are typically equipped with slatted iron floor to improve management efficiency (e.g., ease of manure handling, cleanliness of the farrowing crates and hence improved animal hygiene). However, the bare and hard floor surface can impair the welfare of the sow-litter because of some undesirable impacts on the pigs, such as foreleg abrasion, large temperature gradients between the cold floor surface and the abdomen of the piglets (hence higher susceptibility to diarrhea), and higher pre-weaning mortality or morbidity. Although straw bedding has been shown to be conducive to providing better environment for the sow-litter, use of straw creates challenges in terms of economics, hygiene and manure handling. This study investigates the use of neoprene mat (NM) in key areas of the farrowing crates - underneath the sow and in the piglet suckling area to improve the microenvironment and hence welfare of the sow-litter. Two experiments were conducted, each involving 12 sow-litters. The first experiment was to evaluate the thickness of a rectangular-shaped NM (7, 10 or 13 mm) vs. the slatted iron floor (control or Ctrl) and collect the corresponding animal response data; while the second follow-up experiment was to verify the benefits of supplying an improved, double concave (or H)-shaped NM with 10mm thick (CNM10) vs. Ctrl for the farrowing operation. Results of both experiments demonstrated considerable benefits of the NM placement in the farrowing crates. Specifically, the NM reduced the piglet foreleg lesion area and joint swellings (0% for NM vs. 8-10% for Ctrl during suckling periods in both Expts 1 and 2, P<0.001); reduced pre-weaning piglet crushing mortality (18.5+/-5.0%, 6.7+/-3.3% and 9.1+/-5.2% and for Ctrl, NM7 and NM10 and in Expt 1, P<0.05); and reduced piglet diarrhea morbidity (0.6+/-0.2% for CNM10 vs. 2.7+/-0.3% for Ctrl in Expt 2, P<0.01). Piglets in the NM litters had smaller temperature gradients between the abdomen and the contact floor surface (3.8+/-2.3 degrees C for NM vs. 7.6+/-0.5 degrees C for Ctrl in Expt 1, P<0.001; 9.2+/-0.5 degrees C for CNM10 vs. 15.9+/-0.5 degrees C for Ctrl in Expt 2, P<0.001). Moreover, sows in the NM regimens showed longer transition time when changing from standing to lying position (7.4+/-0.3s for CNM10 vs. 4.5+/-0.2s for Ctrl in Expt 2, P<0.05), indicative of more floor comfort for the NM condition. Results of this study suggest that supply of NM underneath the sow and in the piglet suckling area is conducive to enhancing comfort, health and welfare of the sow and litter.
现代商业母猪产仔箱通常配备有带孔的铁地板，以提高管理效率（例如，便于清理粪便、保持产仔箱清洁，从而提高动物卫生水平）。然而，光秃秃的硬地板表面会对母猪和仔猪的福利产生不良影响，例如前腿擦伤、仔猪腹部与冰冷地板表面之间较大的温度梯度（因此更容易腹泻），以及较高的断奶前死亡率或发病率。虽然稻草垫料已被证明有利于为母猪和仔猪提供更好的环境，但稻草垫料的使用在经济、卫生和粪便处理方面带来了挑战。本研究探讨了在产仔箱的关键区域使用氯丁橡胶垫（NM）——母猪下方和仔猪哺乳区域，以改善母猪和仔猪的微环境和福利。进行了两项实验，每项实验涉及 12 窝母猪和仔猪。第一项实验是评估矩形 NM（7、10 或 13mm）与带孔铁地板（对照或 Ctrl）的厚度，并收集相应的动物反应数据；第二项后续实验是验证为产仔操作提供改进的、双凹（或 H）形 NM（10mm 厚，CNM10）与 Ctrl 相比的益处。两项实验的结果都表明 NM 在产仔箱中的放置有相当大的益处。具体来说，NM 减少了仔猪前腿的损伤面积和关节肿胀（在 Expts1 和 2 的哺乳期间，NM 组为 0%，Ctrl 组为 8-10%，P<0.001）；降低了断奶前仔猪压死死亡率（18.5+/-5.0%、6.7+/-3.3%和 9.1+/-5.2%和 Ctrl、NM7 和 NM10，在 Expt1 中，P<0.05）；降低了仔猪腹泻发病率（0.6+/-0.2%与 CNM10 相比，在 Expt2 中，Ctrl 为 2.7+/-0.3%，P<0.01）。NM 窝中的仔猪腹部与接触地板表面之间的温度梯度较小（Expt1 中 NM 组为 3.8+/-2.3 度，Ctrl 组为 7.6+/-0.5 度，P<0.001；Expt2 中 CNM10 组为 9.2+/-0.5 度，Ctrl 组为 15.9+/-0.5 度，P<0.001）。此外，NM 方案中的母猪在从站立到躺下的位置转换时，过渡时间更长（CNM10 为 7.4+/-0.3s，Ctrl 为 4.5+/-0.2s，在 Expt2 中，P<0.05），这表明 NM 条件下的地板舒适度更高。本研究结果表明，在母猪下方和仔猪哺乳区域提供 NM 有助于提高母猪和仔猪的舒适度、健康和福利。
