Schild Sarah-Lina Aagaard, Foldager Leslie, Rangstrup-Christensen Lena, Pedersen Lene Juul
Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark.
Front Vet Sci. 2020 Jun 24;7:355. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00355. eCollection 2020.
High piglet mortality constitutes a welfare challenge in Danish organic pig production with almost one in three piglets dying before weaning. Piglet characteristics such as birth weight, rectal temperature and intrauterine growth restriction () affect piglet survival. Due to differences in breeding goals, these characteristics may be expected to differ between sow hybrids. Thus, the aims of the present study were (1) to investigate piglet characteristics in two highly prolific sow hybrids and (2) to study to which extent the aforementioned characteristics affect piglet mortality. Forty-nine sows (22 DanBred and 27 Topigs Norsvin) were followed in their first two parities. Sows were housed outdoors and gave birth in huts. On day 1 ( ) piglets were individually marked, weighed, their rectal temperature was recorded and they were scored for IUGR. Weight and rectal temperature were recorded again 3 days . Principal component analyses were conducted to explore relationships among variables. Early piglet death grouped with IUGR, lower rectal temperature and weight on day 1 . Late mortality grouped with increasing litter size and DanBred hybrid. Whilst, Topigs Norsvin hybrid grouped with increasing rectal temperature day 3 , longer crown to rump length, higher weight and more teats on the sow. Results of the statistical analyses showed that Topigs Norsvin piglets were heavier 1 and 3 days ( < 0.001) compared to DanBred piglets. Furthermore, Topigs Norsvin piglets had a higher rectal temperature than DanBred on day 1 ( = 0.023). The risk of IUGR depended on an interaction between sow hybrid and parity ( = 0.023). DanBred sows gave birth to more piglets (18.2 ± 0.6) than Topigs Norsvin sows (15.7 ± 0.5, = 0.003), however, DanBred sows had fewer teats than Topigs Norsvin sows. Weight on day 1 affected both the odds of stillbirth ( < 0.001) and live born death ( < 0.001). Lower rectal temperature day 1 ( < 0.001) increased the odds of live born death. In conclusion, the investigated hybrids differed in several piglet characteristics related to piglet mortality. Use of sows giving birth to heavier and fewer piglets in the litter may thus be a useful tool to reduce piglet mortality in pig production with outdoor farrowing.
仔猪死亡率高是丹麦有机养猪生产中的一个福利挑战，近三分之一的仔猪在断奶前死亡。仔猪特征，如出生体重、直肠温度和宫内生长受限（IUGR）会影响仔猪存活。由于育种目标不同，预计这些特征在母猪杂交品种之间会有所差异。因此，本研究的目的是：（1）调查两个高产母猪杂交品种的仔猪特征；（2）研究上述特征在多大程度上影响仔猪死亡率。对49头母猪（22头丹育猪和27头托佩克北欧猪）的前两胎进行了跟踪。母猪饲养在户外，在棚舍中产仔。在第1天（产后）对仔猪进行个体标记、称重、记录直肠温度，并对其IUGR进行评分。3天后再次记录体重和直肠温度。进行主成分分析以探索变量之间的关系。早期仔猪死亡与IUGR、第1天较低的直肠温度和体重相关。晚期死亡率与窝产仔数增加和丹育猪杂交品种相关。同时，托佩克北欧猪杂交品种与第3天直肠温度升高、仔猪冠臀长更长、体重更高以及母猪乳头更多相关。统计分析结果表明，与丹育猪仔猪相比，托佩克北欧猪仔猪在第1天和第3天体重更重（P<0.001）。此外，托佩克北欧猪仔猪在第1天的直肠温度高于丹育猪（P = 0.023）。IUGR的风险取决于母猪杂交品种和胎次之间的相互作用（P = 0.023）。丹育猪母猪产仔数（18.2±0.6头）比托佩克北欧猪母猪（15.7±0.5头）多（P = 0.003），然而，丹育猪母猪的乳头比托佩克北欧猪母猪少。第1天的体重影响死产几率（P<0.001）和出生后死亡几率（P<0.001）。第1天较低的直肠温度（P<0.001）增加了出生后死亡几率。总之，所研究的杂交品种在与仔猪死亡率相关的几个仔猪特征方面存在差异。因此，在户外产仔的养猪生产中，使用产仔较重且数量较少的母猪可能是降低仔猪死亡率的有用工具。
