weaning mortality in piglets

157 Pages·2013·1.55 MB·English

by  Xavier T. Estruch

Welfare and management strategies to reduce pre-
weaning mortality in piglets

TESIS DOCTORAL PRESENTADA PER: Ramon Muns Vila
SOTA LA DIRECCIÓ DELS DOCTORS: Josep Gasa i Xavier Manteca

PER ACCEDIR AL GRAU DE DOCTOR DINS EL PROGRAMA DE DOCTORAT EN
PRODUCCÓ ANIMAL DEL DEPARTAMENT DE CIÈNCIA ANIMAL I DELS ALIMENTS

BELLATERRA, 2013

Josep Gasa Gasó i Xavier Manteca Vilanova, catedràtics del departament de
Ciència Animal i dels Aliments de la Facultat de Veterinària de la Universitat Autònoma
de Barcelona,

Certifiquen:

Que la memòria titulada “Welfare and management strategies to reduce pre-weaning
mortality in piglets”, presentada per Ramon Muns Vila amb la finalitat d’optar al grau
de Doctor en Veterinària, ha estat realitzada sota la seva direcció y, considerant-la
finalitzada, autoritzen la seva presentació per que sigui jutjada per la comissió
corresponent.

I perquè consti als efectes oportuns, firmen la present a Bellaterra, 01 de Maig del
2013

Dr. Josep Gasa Gasó

Dr. Xavier Manteca Vilanova
L’autor va gaudir d’una beca pre-doctoral FI-DGR 2009 de l’Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts
Universitaris i de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya per realitzar aquest estudi.

Index
INDEX

Chapter 1. General introduction ............................................................... 1

Chapter 2. Literature review ..................................................................... 7
2.1. Pre-weaning mortality ........................................................................... 9
2.1.1. When and how do piglets die? ....................................................... 11
2.1.2. Factors affecting birth to weaning performance and
mortality in the piglets ............................................................... 14
2.1.2.1. Body weight at birth .......................................................... 15
2.1.2.1.1. Impact of body weight at birth on
mortality and performance .................................. 15
2.1.2.1.2. Factors affecting body weight at birth ................... 16
2.1.2.2. Neonatal vitality ................................................................ 17
2.1.2.2.1. Impact of neonatal vitality on mortality
and performance ................................................ 17
2.1.2.2.2. Factors affecting neonatal vitality ......................... 18
2.1.2.3. Thermoregulation ............................................................. 19
2.1.2.3.1. Impact of thermoregulation on mortality
and performance ....................................................................... 19
2.1.2.3.2. Factors affecting thermoregulation ....................... 19
2.1.2.4. Dam traits ........................................................................ 21
2.1.2.4.1. Behaviour and well-being ..................................... 21
2.1.2.4.2. Milk production and lactational failure ................... 22
2.2. Management during lactation ................................................................. 25
2.2.1. Management of the lactating sow .................................................. 25
2.2.2. Management of the newborn piglet ................................................ 28
2.2.2.1. Colostration ...................................................................... 28
2.2.2.2. Cross-fostering ................................................................. 31
2.2.2.3. Creep feeding ................................................................... 33
2.2.2.4. Human-animal interaction .................................................. 34
2.3. Production cycle of the sow and piglets .................................................. 35

Chapter 3. Objectives ................................................................................ 43

i
Index
Chapter 4. Effect of gestation management system on gilt and
piglet performance ............................................................... 47
4.1. Introduction and objectives ................................................................... 49
4.2. Material and methods ............................................................................ 50
4.2.1. Experimental design and treatments .............................................. 50
4.2.1.1. Experiment 1 .................................................................... 51
4.2.1.1. Experiment 2 .................................................................... 52
4.2.2. Statistical analysis ......................................................................... 53
4.3. Results ................................................................................................. 54
4.4. Discussion ............................................................................................ 58

Chapter 5. Piglet behaviour as a measure of vitality and its
influence on piglet survival and growth during
lactation ............................................................................... 63
5.1. Introduction and objectives ................................................................... 65
5.2. Material and methods ............................................................................ 65
5.2.1. Experiment development ............................................................... 66
5.2.2. Statistical analysis ......................................................................... 68
5.3. Results ................................................................................................. 69
5.4. Discussion ............................................................................................ 72

Chapter 6. Effect on piglet’s growth and mortality of different
management techniques to enhance piglets
colostrum intake .................................................................. 75
6.1. Introduction and objectives ................................................................... 77
6.2. Material and methods ............................................................................ 78
6.2.1. Animals, housing and management ................................................ 78
6.2.2. Experiment development ............................................................... 78
6.2.3. Statistical analysis ......................................................................... 80
6.3. Results ................................................................................................. 80
6.4. Discussion ............................................................................................ 84

Chapter 7. Effect of cross-fostering and oral supplementation
with colostrum on performance of newborn
piglets ................................................................................... 89
ii
Index
7.1. Introduction and objectives ................................................................... 91
7.2. Material and methods ............................................................................ 91
7.2.1. Animals, housing and management ................................................ 91
7.2.2. Experiment development ............................................................... 92
7.2.3. Statistical analysis ......................................................................... 94
7.3. Results ................................................................................................. 94
7.4. Discussion ............................................................................................ 99

Chapter 8. General discussion ................................................................... 103
8.1. Management and welfare implications on husbandry practices
around farrowing ....................................................................... 105
8.2. Methodological considerations, aspects susceptible to be
improved and further studies ...................................................... 109
8.2.1. Group housing and overfeeding during gestation ............................. 110
8.2.2. Piglet’s vitality .............................................................................. 112
8.2.3. Colostrum supplementation and cross-fostering .............................. 112

Chapter 9. General conclusions ................................................................. 117

Chapter 10. Literature cited ...................................................................... 121
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Index of figures
INDEX OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Evolution of the average number of piglets born alive per
farrowing (LB) in Catalonia, Spain, France, Netherlands,
Denmark, and UK from year 1981 to 2011 . .................................. 4

Figure 1.2 Evolution of the average number of piglets weaned per
farrowing (WF) in Catalonia, Spain, France, Netherlands,
Denmark, and UK from year 1981 to 2011 ................................... 5

Figure 2.1 Piglet pre-weaning mortality rate in some European
countries ................................................................................... 10

Figure 2.2 Interactions between the piglet, the sow and the
environment pre-disposing pre-weaning mortality ........................ 12

Figure 2.3 Growth of piglets according to colostrum intake between
birth and 24 h after birth for piglets still alive at 42 days
of age. Data presented are least square means ± s.e.
Different letters at the right side of the legend indicate
significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between colostrum
intake categories on days 21, 28, 35 and 42. ............................... 29

Figure 2.4 An example of a feeding pattern usually suggested for
breeding sows throughout gestation. For this example, a
commercial gestation diet with an energetic
concentration of 12.1 MJ ME/kg of feed was considered ............... 36
iv