Abstract The objectives of the present study were to explore the trend in preweaning mortality (PWM) and related measurements such as piglets born alive (PBA), stillborn piglets, herd productivity and herd size in sow herds over a 10-year period; and 2) to examine the relationships between PWM and the related measurements. Herd-level annual data from 2007–2016 for 91 herds in Spain were abstracted from a sow database compiled by a veterinary consultancy firm. The database software automatically calculated herd-level PWM (%) as follows: the total number of piglets born alive to a sow completely weaned during a year (TPBA) minus the total number of piglets weaned by the completely weaned sow during the year divided by TPBA x 100. All the statistical analyses were performed using SAS University Edition. A growth curve model was applied to incorporate correlations for all of the observations arising from the same farm. Herd means of PWM (SD) increased from 11.9 (4.1) % to 14.4 (3.2) %, and mean PBA increased by 1.9 pigs. Mean age of piglet death during lactation increased by 3.8 days, and there was a significant effect of increased year on herd size and the number of piglets weaned per sow per year (PSY; P < 0.05). Higher PWM was associated with more PBA, more stillborn piglets and small herds (lower than the median size: < 570 sows; P < 0.05). Also, as PBA increased from 9 to 14 pigs, PWM in large herds (> 570 sows) increased by only 6.6%, compared with 9.6% in small herds. Furthermore, as PWM decreased from 18 to 8%, herd productivity measured as PSY increased by 2.2 pigs in large herds, but only by 0.6 pigs in small herds. In conclusion, the effect of increased PBA on PWM was alleviated more in large herds than in small herds. Also, the impact of decreased PWM on herd productivity was greater in large herds than in small herds.
To assess factors for canine skin extensibility, our study investigated associations between the dogs’ skin extension index and the following factors, gender, age, neuter status, weight, coat color and six coat color related gene polymorphisms. Swab samples were collected from 69 toy poodles to extract DNA. The skin extension indices of the lower back and the neck were measured using the following formula: vertical height of the skin fold divided by body length multiplied by 100. The dogs’ age, weight, gender, neuter status and coat color were also recorded, as well as polymorphisms of the following six selected coat color related genes, Melanocortin 1 receptor, Tyrosinase-related protein 1, Melanophilin, Canine β-defensin-1, Major Facilitator Superfamily Domain Containing 12 and Agouti-signaling protein (ASIP). Univariable analysis showed there was a meaningful association between the lower back skin extension index and both gender and age (P<0.001 and P=0.048, respectively). Also, there was a possible association between the lower back skin extension index and ASIP Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (R96C) (P=0.078). Linear model analysis showed there was a significant association between the lower back skin extension index and gender (P<0.001), and there was a tendency of the association between the lower back skin extension index and ASIP SNP (R96C) (P=0.098). In addition, there was an association between gender and age for the skin extension index. (P=0.048). Therefore, these results suggest that a greater risk of skin extensibility in toy poodle could be related to being female and the ASIP SNP (R96C), because these factors were associated with higher lower back skin extension index.
The behavior of stalled females pigs was observed to investigate the relations between behavior and reproductive performance. A commercial farrow-to-finish farm equipped with a computerized recording system with approximately 300 female pig inventories was visited three times to observe three postural behaviors (lying, standing, and sitting) and three stereotypies (vacuum chewing, drinker playing, and bar biting) of stalled females at 15-min intervals for 6 h (25 times including 0 min of one zero-time sampling) after feeding. Relative frequencies (%) of the postural behaviors and the stereotypies for 6 h were expressed as a percentage of a total of 25 time observations. Statistical models for reproductive performance included each behavior, parity, and day of visit. Among 609 pregnant females observed at our three visits, the means in relative frequencies (%) of lying, standing, sitting, vacuum chewing, drinker playing, and bar biting for 6 h were 60.1 +/- 0.91, 32.3 +/- 0.87, 7.60 +/- 0.44, 12.7 +/- 0.65, 0.4 +/- 0.06, and 0.2 +/- 0.50%, respectively. Among 514 farrowed females of the 609 pregnant females, the means of total pigs born, pigs born alive, pigs born dead, birth litter weights, pigs weaned, and adjusted 21-d litter weights were 12.3 +/- 0.13, 11.2 +/- 0.12, 1.1 +/- 0.06, 17.1 +/- 0.18 kg, 10.3 +/- 0.08, and 68.1 +/- 0.40 kg, respectively. Females showing a high relative frequency (> or = 36%) of vacuum chewing during gestation produced fewer (P < 0.05) total pigs born (11.7 +/- 0.38 vs. 12.6 +/- 0.22) than those showing no vacuum chewing. No relationships were found between vacuum chewing and other performance measurements such as pigs born alive, pigs weaned, and adjusted 21-d litter weights. Neither postural behavior nor the other stereotypies were related to reproductive performance. The farrowing rate was not related to any postural behavior and stereotypy in logistic regression mixed models. This study suggests that a subpopulation of females exists on commercial farms that frequently exhibit vacuum chewing and give birth to fewer total pigs. High frequency of vacuum chewing in those females may be indicative of their suboptimal reproductive performance.
Decreasing the mortality risk in breeding-female pigs is critical to enhance maternal health and animal welfare in commercial herds, and it also helps prevent decreased productivity, economic losses, and reduced worker morale. The objectives of the present study were to characterize death occurrences in female pigs, to examine the survival probability for gilts and sows in commercial herds, and to quantify factors associated with by-parity mortality risks for farrowed sows. The data included 558,486 first service records of 113,517 females in 121 herds, served between 2008 and 2013. Two herd categories were defined on the basis of the lower 25th percentiles of the herd means of annualized lifetime pigs weaned per sow: low-performing herds (<21.7 pigs) and ordinary herds (>21.7 pigs). By-parity annualized mortality incidence rates for pregnant pigs and farrowed sows were calculated by using pig days as the denominator. Two-level survival analysis was performed for served female pigs to obtain by-parity survival probabilities. Also, log-binomial regression models were used to examine risk factors and risk ratios associated with by-parity mortality risks for farrowed sows. The mortality rate of the 113,517 removed females was 14.4%, with overall mean annualized mortality incidence rates (%) of 4.5 and 19.3% for pregnant female pigs and farrowed sows, respectively. Survival probabilities for served females rapidly decreased at around farrowing in all parity groups. Also, lower survival probabilities for served female pigs were associated with increased age at first mating, females fed in low-performing herds, females that farrowed more stillborn piglets, and females having WMI of 7 d or higher (P < 0.05). Increased mortality risks for farrowed sows were associated with summer farrowing, being fed in low-performing herds, and having more stillborn piglets (P < 0.05). The relative risk ratios of parity 1 to parity 5 farrowed sows dying were 1.33–1.59 if they were being fed in low-performing herds, compared to those being fed in ordinary herds. Also, the relative risk ratios of sows that farrowed stillborn piglets dying were 1.56–2.67 across parity, compared to sows that had not farrowed stillborn piglets. However, herd size was not associated with mortality risk (P > 0.88). In conclusion, to prevent female pig death occurrences, producers need to provide more care and attention to female groups at high risk of dying, such as females in peripartum periods, pregnant gilts in late gestation, sows farrowing in summer, and those being fed in low-performing herds.
This study created and used a data-base containing 25,719 farrowing and 19,393 subsequent litter records abstracted from the PigCHAMP records of 30 commercial farms and daily feed intake records of 25,040 of these lactating sows. Each lactation feed record was categorized into one of six patterns: RAPID, rapid increase in feed intake following farrowing; MAJOR, major drop in feed intake during lactation; MINOR, minor drop; LLL, low feed intake throughout lactation; LHH, low feed intake during the first week then increasing for the remainder of lactation; and GRADUAL, gradual increase in feed intake throughout lactation. At the herd level, patterns RAPID, MAJOR, MINOR, LLL, LHH, and GRADUAL were observed in 22.8%, 32.9%, 27.8%, 1.0%, 8%, and 14.7% of sows, respectively. On a sow basis, across all feed intake records of all farms, patterns RAPID, MAJOR, MINOR, LLL, LHH, and GRADUAL were observed at frequencies of 17.8%, 38.3%, 25.8%, 1.2%, 1.5%, and 15.4%, respectively. Using logistic regression, the risk factors affecting the occurrence of MAJOR and MINOR patterns were lower parity, thicker backfat, higher room temperature, and greater feed intake during early lactation. Average daily feed intake and the day of peak intake were 5.2 (1.4 SD) kg/sow and 12.6 (4.6 SD) d after farrowing. Regression coefficients of factors affecting ADFI derived from multiple regression analyses were 247 g for parity, 9 g for weaning litter weight (kg), -13 g for room temperature (degree C), 62 g for lactation length (d), and -.4 g for energy density (kcal/kg). This study demonstrated substantial individual sow and farm variation in overall feed intake and pattern of feed intake during lactation. It also identified key risk factors (i.e., parity, lactation length, room temperature, weaning litter weights, energy density) for ADFI and pattern of feed intake on commercial farms.
The objective of the present study was to investigate factors associated with the risk of female pigs (females) becoming low lifetime efficiency sows (LE sows) in commercial herds.The factors investigated were age of gilts at first mating (AFM), number of services in parity 0 and pigs born alive (PBA) in parity 1. Farrowing records were obtained for 34,728 gilts entered into 101 commercial herds from 2001 to 2003.LE sows were defined as sows having lower 25th percentile of annualized lifetime PBA.AFM was categorized into six 21-day interval groups: 151-209, 210-230, 231-251, 252-272, 273-293 or 294-365 days.The PBA in parity 1 consisted of three groups : 7, 8-11 or 12 pigs.The number of services in parity 0 was categorized into two groups: non-returned to service or reserviced.Mixed-effects models were performed for statistical analyses.As AFM increased from the 151-209 to the 294-365 days, the proportions of females becoming LE sows correspondingly increase from 18.7 to 37.3% (P＜0.05).The proportion of females becoming LE sows was 10.3% higher for reserviced gilts than for non-returned gilts (P ＜ 0.05).Sows with PBA 7 pigs in parity 1 had 19.4 and 28.5% higher proportions of females becoming LE sows than those with PBA 8-11 and 12 pigs in parity 1, respectively (P＜0.05).In conclusion, in order to reduce the proportion of females becoming LE sows we recommend mating matured gilts at a lower age, reducing the percentage of reserviced gilts and increasing PBA in parity 1.
The objectives of this study were to survey clinics' guidance about recommended fasting duration (FD) prior to lipoprotein analysis, and to characterize lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in obese and overweight dogs categorized on the basis of the 5-point body condition score (BCS) scale. A dataset was created from lipoprotein analysis medical records of 1,538 dogs from 75 breeds in 354 clinics from 2012 to 2013. A phone survey was conducted to obtain the clinics' FD. Two-level linear mixed-effects models were applied to the data. Over 50% of the clinics said they recommended fasting for 12 hr or more. Dogs in clinics with FD 12 hr or more had lower chylomicron triglyceride concentrations than those in clinics with FD less than 8 hr (P=0.05). Mean (± SEM) BCS at sampling was 3.7 ± 0.02. Obese and overweight dogs had higher very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations than ideal dogs (P<0.05), but no such difference was found for low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (P≥0.07). Across all BCS, as dog age rose from 0 to 8 years old, HDL cholesterol concentrations decreased by 13.5 mg/dl, whereas VLDL triglyceride concentrations increased by 81.7 mg/dl (P<0.05). In conclusion, FD of 8 hr or less may affect lipoprotein lipid concentrations. Obese and overweight dogs were characterized as having high VLDL and HDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.
