engleski

EFFECT OF BIRTH WEIGHT ON SURVIVAL AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF PIGLETS FROM LARGE LITTERS

The birth weight of piglets had a significant influence on preweaning mortality and subsequent growth performances. In birth weight class below 1.000 kg, almost 44% of piglets died during the lactation period, mainly in the first two weeks. The highest number of piglets belongs to the BW class between 1.201 and 1.400 kg. The effect of birth weight on piglet survival is not so obvious, because there is a tendency of decreasing of a number of stillborn piglets with increasing birth weight, but these differences were not significant among birth weight classes. Similar conclusions could be drawn for the number of piglets weaned (P>0.05). Pearson correlation coefficients among body weight traits ranged between 0.48 and 0.93. The lowest value of correlation coefficients was observed between birth weight and weight of piglets at weaning. In all observed periods, a significant effect of birth weight on daily gains was determined (P<0.05). Piglets with larger birth weight had larger daily gains. The difference in average daily gain between piglets with birth weight less than 1.000 kg and piglets with birth weight more than 1.600 kg was around 110 grams.

birth weight, litter size, growth, hyperprolific sows, survival

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