Factors influencing piglet mortality in indoor farrowing systems
Piglet mortality is a significant swine welfare problem and economic loss to the swine industry. Losses due to stillbirths can range from 2 to 9% of the litter and liveborn neonatal mortality prior to weaning adds 9.5% to 15.5% mostly due to a combination of starvation and crushing. These issues are increasing as average litter sizes continue to increase across the swine industry. However, the causes of both liveborn and stillborn piglet mortality are multifactorial and interrelated, and include elements of the farrowing environment, the biology of the sow and the biology of her litter.
Temperature requirements for the lactating sow ranges from 15 to 24ºC but newborn piglets actually prefer a temperature of 42ºC, a temperature above their thermoneutral zone of 35ºC. When the temperature falls below 34ºC, the newborn piglet is subjected to cold stress. Without supplemental heat, the piglet is at risk of dying from any one or a combination of hypothermia, starvation or crushing. The sow is also susceptible to heat stress if the ambient temperature in the farrowing house rises above 24-26ºC.
Superimposed upon the thermal environment is the physiology and behavior of the sow and her litter. The nutritional state of the dam is influential. Piglets who have low energy reserves/availability (difficult birth, hypoxic, or little energy to start), and struggle to maintain body temperature (low energy, small body size) are most at risk. Smaller pigs have also been documented to be more likely to become crushed by the sow during posture changes, especially during the first 24 h post-partum. Reducing sow activity, which could be achieved partially by dietary inclusion of increased tryptophan together with maintaining an ideal ambient temperature for both the sow and the litter, thus attracting small piglets away from the sow, could reduce live-born mortality.
The objective of our current research is to reduce piglet mortality by manipulating the environment and biology of the sow and her piglets. We aim to help the sow maintain homeostasis by providing external cooling through the floor and we also aim to reduce peri-parturient activity by increasing dietary tryptophan in the sow’s diet. We aim to help the piglet to maintain homeostasis by providing external heat through the floor, and by increasing the piglet’s ability to maintain body temperature by increasing energy stores. We also aim to improve our understanding of the role that micro-environment plays in piglet mortality within the same macro-environment.
These studies are ongoing with internal funding support. External collaborators include MP3 Farms, Williamsport, IN. We are also still collaborating with the Universities of Warwick and Bristol on a data set investigating piglet mortality in outdoor production systems in the UK.
Some of previous work on piglet mortality is available here:
Marchant, J.N.*, Rudd, A.R.*, Mendl, M.T., Meredith, M.J., Broom, D.M., Corning, S. and Simmins, P.H. (2000) Timing and causes of piglet mortality in conventional and experimental farrowing systems. The Veterinary Record, 147: 209-214. doi:10.1136/vr.147.8.209
Marchant, J.N.*, Broom, D.M. and Corning, S. (2001) The influence of sow behaviour on piglet mortality due to crushing in an open farrowing system. Animal Science, 72: 19-28
O’Reilly, K.M.*, Harris, M.J.*, Mendl, M.T., Held, S., Moinard, C., Statham, P., Marchant-Forde, J.N. and Green, L.E. (2006) Factors associated with pre-weaning mortality on commercial pig farms in England and Wales. Veterinary Record, 159: 193-196. doi:10.1136/vr.159.7.193
Kilbride, A.L.*, Mendl, M.T., Statham, P., Held, S., Harris, M.J., Marchant-Forde, J.N., Booth, H. and Green, L.E.* (2014) Risks associated with preweaning mortality in 855 litters on 39 commercial outdoor pig farms in England. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 187:189-199 doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.08.004
And some initial results of current studies are available here:
Morello, G., Marchant-Forde, J.N., Richert, B.T., Lay, D.C. and Rodrigues, L.H.A. (2013) The effects of non-uniform environmental conditions on piglet mortality and behavior of sows. In. (Eds. M.J. Hotzel & L.C. Pinheiro Machado) Proceedings of 47th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology. P69.
http://www.applied-ethology.org/hres/ISAE%202013%209789086867790isae2013-e.pdf
Morello, G., Richert, B.T., Lay, D.C., Rodrigues, L.H.A. and Marchant-Forde, J.N. (2015) Investigating sow posture changes; does environment play a role? In. (Eds. T. Yasue, S. Ito, S. Ninomiya, K. Uetake & S. Morita) Proceedings of 49th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology. Wageningen Academic Press, Wageningen, The Netherlands. P64.
Piglet mortality is a significant swine welfare problem and economic loss to the swine industry. Losses due to stillbirths can range from 2 to 9% of the litter and liveborn neonatal mortality prior to weaning adds 9.5% to 15.5% mostly due to a combination of starvation and crushing. These issues are increasing as average litter sizes continue to increase across the swine industry. However, the causes of both liveborn and stillborn piglet mortality are multifactorial and interrelated, and include elements of the farrowing environment, the biology of the sow and the biology of her litter.
Temperature requirements for the lactating sow ranges from 15 to 24ºC but newborn piglets actually prefer a temperature of 42ºC, a temperature above their thermoneutral zone of 35ºC. When the temperature falls below 34ºC, the newborn piglet is subjected to cold stress. Without supplemental heat, the piglet is at risk of dying from any one or a combination of hypothermia, starvation or crushing. The sow is also susceptible to heat stress if the ambient temperature in the farrowing house rises above 24-26ºC.
Superimposed upon the thermal environment is the physiology and behavior of the sow and her litter. The nutritional state of the dam is influential. Piglets who have low energy reserves/availability (difficult birth, hypoxic, or little energy to start), and struggle to maintain body temperature (low energy, small body size) are most at risk. Smaller pigs have also been documented to be more likely to become crushed by the sow during posture changes, especially during the first 24 h post-partum. Reducing sow activity, which could be achieved partially by dietary inclusion of increased tryptophan together with maintaining an ideal ambient temperature for both the sow and the litter, thus attracting small piglets away from the sow, could reduce live-born mortality.
The objective of our current research is to reduce piglet mortality by manipulating the environment and biology of the sow and her piglets. We aim to help the sow maintain homeostasis by providing external cooling through the floor and we also aim to reduce peri-parturient activity by increasing dietary tryptophan in the sow’s diet. We aim to help the piglet to maintain homeostasis by providing external heat through the floor, and by increasing the piglet’s ability to maintain body temperature by increasing energy stores. We also aim to improve our understanding of the role that micro-environment plays in piglet mortality within the same macro-environment.
These studies are ongoing with internal funding support. External collaborators include MP3 Farms, Williamsport, IN. We are also still collaborating with the Universities of Warwick and Bristol on a data set investigating piglet mortality in outdoor production systems in the UK.
Some of previous work on piglet mortality is available here:
Marchant, J.N.*, Rudd, A.R.*, Mendl, M.T., Meredith, M.J., Broom, D.M., Corning, S. and Simmins, P.H. (2000) Timing and causes of piglet mortality in conventional and experimental farrowing systems. The Veterinary Record, 147: 209-214. doi:10.1136/vr.147.8.209
Marchant, J.N.*, Broom, D.M. and Corning, S. (2001) The influence of sow behaviour on piglet mortality due to crushing in an open farrowing system. Animal Science, 72: 19-28
O’Reilly, K.M.*, Harris, M.J.*, Mendl, M.T., Held, S., Moinard, C., Statham, P., Marchant-Forde, J.N. and Green, L.E. (2006) Factors associated with pre-weaning mortality on commercial pig farms in England and Wales. Veterinary Record, 159: 193-196. doi:10.1136/vr.159.7.193
Kilbride, A.L.*, Mendl, M.T., Statham, P., Held, S., Harris, M.J., Marchant-Forde, J.N., Booth, H. and Green, L.E.* (2014) Risks associated with preweaning mortality in 855 litters on 39 commercial outdoor pig farms in England. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 187:189-199 doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.08.004
And some initial results of current studies are available here:
Morello, G., Marchant-Forde, J.N., Richert, B.T., Lay, D.C. and Rodrigues, L.H.A. (2013) The effects of non-uniform environmental conditions on piglet mortality and behavior of sows. In. (Eds. M.J. Hotzel & L.C. Pinheiro Machado) Proceedings of 47th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology. P69.
http://www.applied-ethology.org/hres/ISAE%202013%209789086867790isae2013-e.pdf
Morello, G., Richert, B.T., Lay, D.C., Rodrigues, L.H.A. and Marchant-Forde, J.N. (2015) Investigating sow posture changes; does environment play a role? In. (Eds. T. Yasue, S. Ito, S. Ninomiya, K. Uetake & S. Morita) Proceedings of 49th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology. Wageningen Academic Press, Wageningen, The Netherlands. P64.