Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vvkck Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T10:26:30.542Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal influences on the litter size at birth of pigs are more pronounced in the gilt than sow litters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2010

P. TUMMARUK ,
W. TANTASUPARUK ,
M. TECHAKUMPHU  and
A. KUNAVONGKRIT
P. TUMMARUK*
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok10330, Thailand
W. TANTASUPARUK
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok10330, Thailand
M. TECHAKUMPHU
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok10330, Thailand
A. KUNAVONGKRIT
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok10330, Thailand
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Padet.T@chula.ac.th
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The aim of the present study was to use data from herds to demonstrate the degree of seasonal influence on litter size at birth in gilts compared to sow parities 2, 3–5 and older (parities ⩾6) in a conventional, open-housing system for commercial pig herds in the northeastern part of Thailand. Data were obtained during a 3-year period from July 2005 to June 2008. The data analysed included observations on 25 835 litters from 8100 sows. Total number of piglets born per litter (TB), number of piglets born alive per litter (BA), proportion of stillborn piglets per litter (SB) and proportion of mummified fetuses per litter (MF) were analysed using a general linear mixed model procedure. The influence of temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index (THI) on TB, BA, MF and SB were also analysed. The meteorological data were merged with the reproductive data and the means of temperature, relative humidity and THI during 115 days before farrowing were calculated and included in the statistical models. The results revealed that sows that farrowed in the hot season had a larger TB and BA than sows that farrowed in the rainy (P<0·001) and cool seasons (P<0·001). The difference of TB and BA among seasons was more pronounced in the gilt litters than the sow litters, insofar as the gilts that farrowed in the rainy season had 0·7 TB fewer than gilts that farrowed in the hot season (P<0·001). By contrast, sows of parities 2, 3–5 and ⩾6 that farrowed in the rainy season had 0·4 (P=0·01), 0·3 (P=0·003) and 0·3 (P=0·02) TB fewer than those that farrowed in the hot season. In the first parity, MF increased from 0·022 to 0·042 when the mean temperature during gestation increased from 26 to 29°C (P<0·001). On average, a reduction of 0·8 TB and 0·7 BA were found when the humidity during gestation increased from 50 to 80% (P<0·001). The influence of THI on TB, BA and SB differed among herds. When THI increased from 71/72 to ⩾81, a decrease of 0·4 TB were observed in herd A (P<0·001) and a decrease of 0·9 TB were observed in herd B (P<0·001), but not in herds C and D (P>0·05). In conclusion, inferior litter size at birth was observed in sows that farrowed in either rainy or cool seasons. High temperature, high relative humidity and/or high THI during gestation significantly reduced the number of total piglets born per litter. The influence of season, temperature, relative humidity and/or THI on litter size at birth was more evident in the gilts than the sows. These data indicated that various strategies to reduce temperature in the open-housing system for pregnant gilts and sows in Thailand are not adequate and the proper housing of pregnant gilts should be emphasized.

Type
Animals
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 148 , Issue 4 , August 2010 , pp. 421 - 432
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Al-Katanani, Y. M., Paula-Lopes, F. F. & Hansen, P. J. (2002). Effect of season and exposure to heat stress on oocyte competence in Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 390–396.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Armstrong, J. D., Britt, J. H. & Cox, N. M. (1986). Seasonal differences in function of the hypothalamic-hypophysial-ovarian axis in weaned primiparous sows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 78, 11–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bényei, B., Gáspárdy, A. & Cseh, S. (2003). Effect of the El Niño phenomenon on the ovarian responsiveness and embryo production of donor cows. Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 51, 209–218.Google Scholar
Biggers, B. G., Geisert, R. D., Wettemann, R. P. & Buchanan, D. S. (1987). Effect of heat stress on early embryonic development in the beef cow. Journal of Animal Science 64, 1512–1518.Google Scholar
Britt, J. H., Szarek, V. E. & Levis, D. G. (1983). Characterization of summer infertility of sows in large confinement units. Theriogenology 20, 133–140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurtgen, J. P. & Leman, A. D. (1981). The seasonal breeding pattern of sows in seven confinement herds. Theriogenology 16, 505–511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Imboonta, N., Rydhmer, L. & Tumwasorn, S. (2007). Genetic parameters for reproduction and production traits of Landrace sows in Thailand. Journal of Animal Science 85, 53–59.Google Scholar
IPCC (2007). Summary for policymakers. In Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Eds Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K. B., Tignor, M. & Miller, H. L.), pp. 1–18. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Kelly, C. F. & Bond, T. E. (1971). Bioclimatic factors and their measurement. In A Guide to Environmental Research on Animals (Eds Yeck, R. G., McDowell, R. E., Bond, T. E., Dougherty, R. W., Hazen, T. E., Johnson, H. D., Johnston, J. E., Kelly, C. F., Pace, N., Smith, S. Y., Ulberg, L. C. & Wilson, W. O.), pp. 7–93. Washington, DC: National Academy of Science Press.Google Scholar
Love, R. J., Evans, G. & Klupiec, C. (1993). Seasonal effects on fertility in gilts and sows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 48, 191–206.Google ScholarPubMed
Love, R. J., Klupiec, C., Thornton, E. J. & Evans, G. (1995). An interaction between feeding rate and season affects fertility of sows. Animal Reproduction Science 39, 275–284.Google Scholar
Omtvedt, I. T., Nelson, R. E., Edwards, R. L., Stephens, D. F. & Turman, E. J. (1971). Influence of heat stress during early, mid and late pregnancy of gilts. Journal of Animal Science 32, 312–317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peltoniemi, O. A. T., Love, R. J., Heinonen, M., Tuovinen, V. & Saloniemi, H. (1999). Seasonal and management effects on fertility of the sow: a descriptive study. Animal Reproduction Science 55, 47–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rocha, A., Randel, R. D., Broussard, J. R., Lim, J. M., Blair, R. M., Roussel, J. D., Godke, R. A. & Hansel, W. (1998). High environmental temperature and humidity decrease oocyte quality in Bos taurus but not in Bos indicus cows. Theriogenology 49, 657–665.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roth, Z. (2008). Heat stress, the follicle, and its enclosed oocyte: mechanisms and potential strategies to improve fertility in dairy cows. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 43, 238–244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rydhmer, L. (2000). Genetics of sow reproduction, including puberty, oestrus, pregnancy, farrowing and lactation. Livestock Production Science 66, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS (2002). SAS User's Guide. Statistic Version 9.0. Cary, NC: SAS Institute Inc.Google Scholar
Suriyasomboon, A., Lundeheim, N., Kunavongkrit, A. & Einarsson, S. (2006). Effect of temperature and humidity on reproductive performance of crossbred sows in Thailand. Theriogenology 65, 606–628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tantasuparuk, W., Lundeheim, N., Dalin, A.-M., Kunavongkrit, A. & Einarsson, S. (2000). Reproductive performance of purebred Landrace and Yorkshire sows in Thailand with special reference to seasonal influence and parity number. Theriogenology 54, 481–496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tantasuparuk, W., Techakumphu, M. & Dornin, S. (2005). Relationships between ovulation rate and litter size in purebred Landrace and Yorkshire gilts. Theriogenology 63, 1142–1148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tummaruk, P., Lundeheim, N., Einarsson, S. & Dalin, A.-M. (2000). Reproductive performance of purebred Swedish Landrace and Swedish Yorkshire sows: I. Seasonal variation and parity influence. Acta Agricultural Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science 50, 205–216.Google Scholar
Tummaruk, P., Tantasuparuk, W., Techakumphu, M. & Kunavongkrit, A. (2004). Effect of season and outdoor climate on litter size at birth in purebred Landrace and Yorkshire sows in Thailand. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 66, 477–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tummaruk, P. & Tienthai, P. (2008). Number of spermatozoa in the crypts of the sperm reservoir at about 24 h after a low dose intra-uterine and deep intrauterine insemination in sows. Reproduction in Domestic Animals doi:10.1111/j.1439-0531.2008.01205.x.Google Scholar
Wettemann, R. P. & Bazer, F. W. (1985). Influence of environmental temperature on prolificacy of pigs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 33, 199–208.Google ScholarPubMed
Wildt, D. E., Riegle, G. D. & Dukelow, W. R. (1975). Physiological temperature response and embryonic mortality in stressed swine. American Journal of Physiology 229, 1471–1475.Google Scholar