Impacts of farrowing pen design, season, and sow parity on litter performance and piglet mortality

Authors: PACHECO, VERONICA - University Of Nebraska; BROWN-BRANDL, TAMI - University Of Nebraska; Rohrer, Gary; VIEIRA DE SOUSA, RAFAEL - Universidad De Sao Paulo; SILVA MARTELLO, LUCIANE - Universidad De Sao Paulo

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2024
Publication Date: 1/20/2024
Citation: Pacheco, V.M., Brown-Brandl, T., Rohrer, G.A., Vieira De Sousa, R., Silva Martello, L. 2024. Impacts of farrowing pen design, season, and sow parity on litter performance and piglet mortality. Animals. 14(2). Article 325. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020325.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14020325

Interpretive Summary: Pre-weaning mortality represents a significant concern for pig producers, impacting both animal welfare and productivity. Factors impacting piglet performance include housing systems, parity, and season. While several studies have investigated different sizes of traditional farrowing pens, comparisons between diverse layouts or space utilization are lacking. This study aimed to assess the impact of different farrowing pen layouts on piglet performance, considering the influences of season and parity. The results suggest that modifying the layout, with sows placed farther from the heating source, can reduce the percent of overlays in high-mortality sows (>2 piglets). Additionally, the study revealed that the litters from first-parity sows had a lower average daily weight gain compared to those from multiparous sows. Seasonal variation also influenced production parameters (percent of overlays and average daily weight gain). These findings demonstrate the importance of proper environmental management, even in systems with a certain level of climatic control.

Technical Abstract: Piglet mortality during lactation is a significant concern in swine production, influenced by complex interactions involving sow, piglet, environmental, and management factors. While crushing by the sow may be the ultimate cause of piglet mortality, there are many factors influencing the outcome, including parity, thermal stress, and animal housing systems. New farrowing systems are continuously being developed; however, it is difficult for producers to make decisions without any scientific basis. This study aimed to assess the impact of different farrowing pen layouts on piglet performance, considering parity and season. A total of 546 sows and 9123 piglets were monitored across 36 lactation cycles. Sows were randomly assigned to three farrowing pen layouts (standard, diagonal, and offset) in three rooms (20 sows by room). All farrowing pens had the same space allocations (2.7 m by 1.8 m and 2.1 m by 0.6 m for the sow area). The three types of farrowing pens were blocked by position within the room. Piglet performance traits (percent of stillborns, percent of mortality, percent of overlays, and average daily weight gain: ADG) and sows traits (health and parity) were monitored following US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) procedures. Results indicated that treatment, parity, and season influenced some piglet performance traits. The offset farrowing pen had a lower percent of stillborns compared to the standard. No significant differences were observed between the diagonal crate and the other treatments. When evaluating high mortality sow (>two piglets), the offset and standard treatments had a lower percent of overlays. Piglets from first-parity sows had lower ADG than those from higher-parity sows. A higher percent of overlays were observed in Autumn and Summer compared to Spring and Winter, and Summer had lower average daily weight gain than other seasons. The results suggest that modifying the layout (offset), with sows placed further away from the heating source, can reduce the percent of overlays in sows with high mortality (>2 piglets). In addition, the influence of season on the piglet production traits demonstrated the importance of proper management of the environment, even in systems with a certain level of climatic control.