Peripartum sows in three farrowing crates: posture patterns and behavioural activities

Effect of alternative farrowing pens with temporary crating on the performance of lactating sows and their litters

This study was performed to development the alternative farrowing pen (AFP) and to investigate performance and behavior of lactating sows and their litter. A total of 64 multiparous sows were randomly divided into two groups and were allocated to farrowing crates (FCs) and AFPs. The AFPs contained a crate and support bars that could be folded to provide the sows with extra space on day 5 postpartum. Behavior was recorded by charge-coupled device cameras and digital video recorders, and the data were scanned every 2 min to obtain an instantaneous behavioral sample. Farrowing systems did not affect feed intake, back-fat thickness, litter size and piglet weight at birth and weaning (p > 0.05). In addition, there were no differences in the number of crushed piglets between the two farrowing systems (p > 0.05). However, the weaning-to-estrus interval was shorter in the sows of the AFPs than in thous of the FCs (p < 0.05). The sows spent most of their time lying down during the lactating period, at about 80% lateral recumbency and 10%–15% ventral recumbency. The only significant differences were in the feeding and drinking behavior between sows in the two farrowing systems (p < 0.05). The FC sows displayed more feeding and drinking behavior than the AFP sows, especially in the late lactating period (p < 0.05). Piglets in the FCs tended to spend more time walking than piglets in the AFPs (p < 0.05), whereas there were no differences in suckling and lying behavior between piglets in the two farrowing systems (p > 0.05). It is concluded that the AFPs with temporary crating until day 4 postpartum did not negatively affect performance and crushed piglet compared with the FCs. It also may improve animal welfare by allowing sows to move and turn around during the lactating period. Further research is needed to find suitable housing designs to enhance productivity and animal welfare.

Applications of Smart Technology as a Sustainable Strategy in Modern Swine Farming

The size of the pork market is increasing globally to meet the demand for animal protein, resulting in greater farm size for swine and creating a great challenge to swine farmers and industry owners in monitoring the farm activities and the health and behavior of the herd of swine. In addition, the growth of swine production is resulting in a changing climate pattern along with the environment, animal welfare, and human health issues, such as antimicrobial resistance, zoonosis, etc. The profit of swine farms depends on the optimum growth and good health of swine, while modern farming practices can ensure healthy swine production. To solve these issues, a future strategy should be considered with information and communication technology (ICT)-based smart swine farming, considering auto-identification, remote monitoring, feeding behavior, animal rights/welfare, zoonotic diseases, nutrition and food quality, labor management, farm operations, etc., with a view to improving meat production from the swine industry. Presently, swine farming is not only focused on the development of infrastructure but is also occupied with the application of technological knowledge for designing feeding programs, monitoring health and welfare, and the reproduction of the herd. ICT-based smart technologies, including smart ear tags, smart sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT), deep learning, big data, and robotics systems, can take part directly in the operation of farm activities, and have been proven to be effective tools for collecting, processing, and analyzing data from farms. In this review, which considers the beneficial role of smart technologies in swine farming, we suggest that smart technologies should be applied in the swine industry. Thus, the future swine industry should be automated, considering sustainability and productivity.

Effects of heat stress on posture transitions and reproductive performance of primiparous sows during late gestation

This study aimed to investigate the effects of heat stress on posture transitions of perinatal primiparous sows around the parturition period from 72 h prepartum to 24 h postpartum. The reproductive performance of sows was measured, and the relationship between posture transitions and reproductive performance was also analyzed. Ten primiparous sows were randomly assigned to thermoneutral (TN) (18-22 °C; n = 5) or heat stress (HS) (28-32 °C; n = 5) treatments. Posture transitioning, including the frequency of posture change, duration of dynamic posture (DP), and lateral lying with udder to the piglet creep box (PCB) during three periods (72 h prepartum, sub-partum, and 24 h postpartum, respectively), were recorded. Posture change frequency was significantly increased, starting from 24 h prepartum to the onset of farrowing in both the TN (P < 0.05) and HS (P < 0.01) groups. Moreover, the peak value of posture change frequency in the TN group was concentrated during the 12 h prepartum period, positively correlated with the quantities of head-first birth piglets and sub-partum duration, respectively. DP duration increased during the period of 24 h prepartum and then decreased sharply (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 for TN and HS groups, respectively). The duration of facing the udder to the PCB increased during sub-partum and postpartum TN (P < 0.001). The duration of sub-partum (P < 0.05) and delivery time of single piglets (P < 0.01) in the HS group was prolonged, and piglets from the HS group had a lower weight gain than the TN group both at d10 (P < 0.001) and weaning time (P < 0.001). In conclusion, HS had obvious adverse effects on nursery behavior and reproductive abilities in perinatal primiparous sows, which resulted in poor growth performance of lactating piglets.

Equipping Farrowing Pens with Straw Improves Maternal Behavior and Physiology of Min-Pig Hybrid Sows

Simple Summary

This study used different sow breeds combined with an enriched environment to relieve stress and to improve the welfare level of sows. Both groups of sows were in loose-housed pens. Sows living in a barren environment (BE) without straw were compared with sows in farrowing crates that received 3.5 kg of straw daily (enriched environment (EE)). Compared with BE sows, EE sows showed more nest-building behavior prior to farrowing, more nursing behavior, and less ventral recumbency behavior during the first three days postpartum. Furthermore, compared with BE sows, EE sows tended to have higher concentrations of serum oxytocin and prolactin, while the concentration of cortisol was lower, suggesting an increase in maternal behavior and a reduction of stress in this group. In addition, the concentration of oxytocin and both the frequency and duration of prepartum nest-building behavior were higher in Duroc × Min and Landrace × Min sows compared with Landrace × Yorkshire sows. However, the concentration of prolactin was significantly lower in both Duroc × Min and Landrace × Min sows than in Landrace × Yorkshire sows, indicating that hybrid sows of Min-pig inherited good maternal characteristics. Based on these results, straw enrichment improved Min-pig hybrid sow welfare during farrowing and lactation.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of two factors, enriched environment (EE) and different crossbreeds, on the maternal behavior and physiology of Min-pig hybrid sows. The analysis was performed on a total of 72 multiparous sows, including Duroc × Min pig (DM), Landrace × Min pig (LM), and Landrace × Yorkshire (LY) sows, using a total of 24 sows per cross. The sows were housed in two different farrowing pens, one with straw (EE) and one without straw (barren environment (BE)). The results showed that nest-building behavior, including the frequency, total duration, and bout duration, was significantly higher in EE sows than in BE sows (p < 0.01). The frequency and duration of prepartum nest-building behavior were higher in DM and LM sows than in LY sows (p < 0.0001). During the first three days postpartum, EE sows spent a shorter time in ventral recumbency compared with BE sows (p < 0.05). The oxytocin (p < 0.05) and prolactin (p < 0.01) concentrations of EE sows were significantly higher than in BE sows; however, the concentration of cortisol followed the opposite (p < 0.01). The concentration of oxytocin was significantly higher in DM and LM sows than in LY sows (p < 0.01). In conclusion, both EE increased the expression of hormones related to parental behaviors and prenatal nesting and nursing behavior of sows. Furthermore, an EE can also reduce stress in sows. Min-pig hybrids may inherit highly advantageous characteristics of maternal behavior of Min-pig sows.

Evidence of a limited role for prolactin in the preparturient activity of confined gilts

To investigate the role of peripheral prolactin in stimulating the preparturient activity of pigs, 12 cross-bred gilts housed in standard farrowing crates either received orally 10mg of bromocriptine three times per day from day 110 of gestation or served as controls. Jugular blood samples were collected on days 107 and 113 and assayed for prolactin, while the gilts' behaviour was recorded during the last 24h before parturition. Bromocriptine eliminated the preparturient rise in prolactin concentrations (P=0.002). As parturition approached all gilts initially spent less time laying down and more time standing or sitting. The frequency of posture changes also increased as did the incidence of oro-nasal behaviours. These trends were reversed during the final 5-8h before parturition, when the gilts began to lay down for longer periods. The mean concentrations of prolactin on day 113 were correlated with the frequency of posture changes (r=0.70,P=0.015) but not with any other behavioural measure (P>0.10). Bromocriptine had no overall effect on any of the preparturient behaviours (P>0.10) but did reduce the frequency of posture changes 13-16h before parturition (P=0.05). There was a significant interaction between time until parturition and bromocriptine treatment for time spent lying down (P=0.013): bromocriptine delayed the time when the gilts began lying down again as parturition approached. The results suggest that peripheral prolactin plays only a limited role in the preparturient activity of pigs and throws some doubt on its importance in the motivation of nest building in this species.