Naslov
Farrowing crates influence on the change of the sows position, sucking of the piglets and their death by crushing

Autori
Pavičić, Željko ; Balenović, Tomislav ; Vučemilo, Marija ; Tofant, Alenka ; Matković, Kristina

Izvornik
Stočarstvo (0351-0832) 57 (2003), 3; 163-170

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
prasilišni objekti; promjena položaja krmača; broj sisanja prasadi; prignječenje
(farrowing crates; change of the sows' position; number of sucking; crushing)

Sažetak
Some farrowing accommodation systems in intensive pig breeding may, with the existing microclimatic conditions in the houses influence the sows behaviour and loss of piglets by crushing. Thus we intended this research to test the effect of comfort in some farrowing crates on the sows change of position frequency, the number of sucking and the loss of piglets by crushing. Thirty sows in their second farrowing, of the Swedish Landrass breed, were divided in to three groups and placed in three different farrowing crates. The first group was put in a house with farrowing crates (size 2.2 x 1.6 m, paralel restriction for the sow was 0.60 m) with grated floor (House A) ; the second group was in farrowing pens 3.0 x 1.8 m without restriction for the sow and with full floor, bedded with in straw which was changed every 5th day (House B) and the third group was in farrowing crates (size 2.0 x 1.5 m ; with diagonal restriction for the sow of 0.50 m) with full floor without bedding (House C). The change of their position and the influence there of on the piglets' sucking were monitored by video cameras during the first, tenth and twentieth day of their stay in the farrowing crates. Each animal was filmed, during the research period, for 6 hours (08:00 till 14:00). By looking at the film and by statistical processing of the results it was established that narrow restrictions and unfavourable microclimatic factors in House C influenced significantly (P<0.05) the freyuency of position changes in comparison with other houses. A more frequent change of position resulted in an increased number of short or interrupted suckings, so that the piglets in House C had, during the research, a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in the increased number of suckings in comparison with the other houses. The suckings were either short or interrupted, so that the piglets were constantly hungry, their progress was slow and they were crushed more frequently. Accordingly, in such accommodation conditions one may expect significantly lesser production results as well as loss of piglets by crushing, more than 40 percent of total losses of piglets while sucking. Thus we come to the conclusion that a wider space for the sow as well as optimal microclimatic factors and modification in the farrowing crates with straw, may decrease the changing of position frequency and int this way influence the sucking quality, the piglets vitality and a decrease of losses caused by crushing.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Veterinarska medicina

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