McClellan Katlyn A, Sheffield Sydney L, Levesque Crystal L
Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.
Transl Anim Sci. 2024 Nov 16;8:txae158. doi: 10.1093/tas/txae158. eCollection 2024.
Concerns have been raised about the prevalence of anemia in sows, yet our understanding of its consequences, particularly its impact on the farrowing process, remains limited. This study investigated the relationship between hemoglobin concentration () and farrowing duration in sows. A total of 101 sows ( = 16 parity 0, 15 parity 1, 24 parity 2, and 46 parity 3 sows) were monitored for blood HbC (Hemocue Hb 201 device) from the ear vein before farrowing (day 112 of gestation) and between 40 to 48 h after farrowing (day 2). Sows were categorized as anemic (HbC < 10 g/dL), or nonanemic (HbC ≥ 10 g/dL) based on their day 112 HbC (i.e., prefarrowing status). Surveillance cameras recorded the farrowing process for each sow, complemented by human observation. Farrowing duration was defined as the time elapsed between the first piglet born and the last piglet born. All piglets were individually weighed within 18 h of birth, and stillborn piglets were identified using a lung flotation test conducted within 1 h of birth. The correlation between sow HbC, farrowing duration, and stillborn piglets was assessed using the PROC CORR procedure in SAS. Additionally, the effect of HbC category on labor duration was tested using the PROC MIXED procedure, with total piglets born included as a covariate. Anemic sows had a prolonged farrowing (7.2 h ± 0.92 min, < 0.001) compared to nonanemic sows (3.5 h ± 0.88 min), and negative correlation was observed between prefarrow HbC and farrowing duration ( = -0.62, < 0.001). There was a weak correlation between farrowing duration and stillborn piglets ( = 0.32, = 0.01). No correlation was observed between farrowing duration and total born ( = 0.22, = 0.11). There was no difference in total born (16.41 ± 0.7 vs 16.3 ± 0.7) between anemic (< 10 g/dL) and nonanemic (≥10 g/dL) sows, respectively. Factors such as barn temperature on the day of parturition and feed intake the day prior did not influence the observed differences in labor duration between anemic and nonanemic sows. In conclusion, maintaining HbC above 10 g/dL appears beneficial for sows, as lower concentrations of HbC are associated with prolonged labor and increased removal rates. Blood HbC could serve as a valuable biomarker for identifying at-risk sows, thereby aiding in improving herd management and productivity.
人们对母猪贫血的患病率表示担忧，但我们对其后果，尤其是对产仔过程的影响的了解仍然有限。本研究调查了母猪血红蛋白浓度（）与产仔持续时间之间的关系。在分娩前（妊娠第112天）和分娩后40至48小时（第2天），通过耳静脉使用Hemocue Hb 201设备对总共101头母猪（16头初产母猪、15头经产1胎母猪、24头经产2胎母猪和46头经产3胎母猪）进行了血液血红蛋白浓度（HbC）监测。根据母猪妊娠第112天的HbC（即分娩前状态），将其分为贫血（HbC < 10 g/dL）或非贫血（HbC ≥ 10 g/dL）。监控摄像头记录了每头母猪的产仔过程，并辅以人工观察。产仔持续时间定义为第一头仔猪出生至最后一头仔猪出生之间的时间。所有仔猪在出生后18小时内进行个体称重，死产仔猪通过出生后1小时内进行的肺漂浮试验进行鉴定。使用SAS中的PROC CORR程序评估母猪HbC、产仔持续时间和死产仔猪之间的相关性。此外，使用PROC MIXED程序测试HbC类别对产程持续时间的影响，并将出生仔猪总数作为协变量纳入。与非贫血母猪（3.5小时±0.88分钟）相比，贫血母猪的产程延长（7.2小时±0.92分钟，< 0.001），并且观察到分娩前HbC与产仔持续时间之间呈负相关（ = -0.62， < 0.001）。产仔持续时间与死产仔猪之间存在弱相关性（ = 0.32， = 0.01）。未观察到产仔持续时间与出生仔猪总数之间的相关性（ = 0.22， = 0.11）。贫血（< 10 g/dL）和非贫血（≥ 10 g/dL）母猪的出生仔猪总数分别为（16.41 ± 0.7和16.3 ± 0.7），没有差异。分娩当天的猪舍温度和前一天的采食量等因素并未影响贫血和非贫血母猪在产程持续时间上观察到的差异。总之，将HbC维持在10 g/dL以上对母猪似乎有益，因为较低的HbC浓度与产程延长和淘汰率增加有关。血液HbC可作为识别有风险母猪的有价值生物标志物，从而有助于改善猪群管理和生产力。
