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Weaning at birth: the effect on the reproduction of the sow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. A. Varley  and
T. Atkinson
M. A. Varley
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
T. Atkinson
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
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Abstract

Thirty-six Landrace × Large White sows were allocated at random to one of three treatment groups. Sows on treatment A (no. = 6) did not lactate at all and the piglets from these sows were removed at birth. Sows on treatment B (no. = 15) lactated for 1 day after parturition and sows on treatment C (no. = 15) acted as controls and lactated for 42 days. The reproductive performance of each treatment group was recorded and all sows were bled every 2nd day from parturition to 30 days post partum. All blood samples were assessed for oestradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations. In treatments A and B, a high proportion of anoestrous sows was seen (0·28). None of the sows in treatment C became anoestrous. The mean interval from weaning to the onset of oestrus for treatments A and B (19·0 (s.e. 6·5) days and 19·7 (s.e. 3·8) days respectively) were not significantly different, while that for treatment C (5·6 (s.e. 0·4) days) was significantly shorter (P < 0·01). The number of piglets born alive at the subsequent farrowing for treatments A, B and C respectively was 7·3 (s.e. 0·8), 9·1 (s.e. 0·8) and 10·5 (s.e. 0·67) (P < 0·05). The calculated annual sow productivity (piglets born alive per sow per year), excluding the first litter born, for treatments A, B and C respectively was 18·4, 22·8 and 22·9. Weaning at, or close to, parturition did not, therefore, influence sow productivity compared with weaning after 6 weeks of lactation.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , December 1985 , pp. 375 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1985

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