Post-mortem findings and piglet mortality in relation to strategic use of straw at farrowing

Preventive Veterinary Medicine
Rebecka WestinBo Algers

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 st...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 8, 2018·Animal : an International Journal of Animal Bioscience·C KiellandT Framstad
Mar 15, 2018·Tropical Animal Health and Production·Ammaly PhengvilaysoukAnna Jansson
Mar 2, 2018·Research in Veterinary Science·Lena Rangstrup-ChristensenJan Tind Sørensen

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