Volume 119, Issues 3–4, 1 May 2015, Pages 141–152
Post-mortem findings and piglet mortality in relation to strategic use of straw at farrowing
Highlights
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- Post-mortem examination was performed in 798 piglets from 363 litters.
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- The major post-mortem findings were starvation (34%) and crushing (28%).
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- Fewer piglets starved to death in STRAW compared to CONTROL-litters.
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- Strategic use of straw reduced the number of stillborn piglets by 27%.
Abstract
Piglet
survival is the outcome of complex interactions between the sow, the
piglet and their environment. In order to facilitate nest-building and
to provide a suitable environment for the newborn piglets, a strategic
method to supply loose housed sows with large quantities of straw at
farrowing has been developed by Swedish piglet-producing farmers. The
objectives of this cohort study were to use post-mortem findings to
assess the causes of death and to quantify the effect of a large
quantity of straw provided before farrowing compared to limited small
daily amounts on stillbirths, post-mortem findings in piglets dying
within 5 days after birth and the pre-weaning mortality. On each of four
commercial piglet-producing farms in South-West Sweden, one batch of
sows was studied during two consecutive lactations. At inclusion, sows
were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, and sows remaining in
the batch during the next lactation switched treatment group. In the
STRAW group (n = 181 litters) sows were provided with 15–20 kg
of chopped straw 2 days prior to the calculated date of farrowing. Sows
in the CONTROL group (n = 182 litters) received 0.5–1 kg of
chopped straw on a daily basis plus about 2 kg for nest-building when
the stockperson judged the sow to be about to farrow. After onset of
farrowing, additionally 1–2 kg was given. Post-mortem examination was
performed in all piglets that died within 5 days after birth (n = 798).
The three major post-mortem findings were starvation (34%) crushing by
the sow (28%), and enteritis (24%). In conclusion, strategic use of
large quantities of straw reduced the number of stillborn piglets per
litter by 27% (p = 0.007). Under the conditions studied, the
pre-weaning mortality of liveborn piglets was not affected by treatment;
however, the distribution of post-mortem findings differed with fewer
piglets dying due to starvation and more due to crushing and enteritis
in STRAW litters.
Keywords
- Piglet survival;
- Stillborn;
- Starvation;
- Crushing;
- Hypothermia;
- New neonatal porcine diarrhoea
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.