Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T12:59:04.125Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Lactational oestrus in the sow 2. The influence of group-housing, boar presence and feeding level upon the occurrence of oestrus in lactating sows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. Rowlinson  and
M. J. Bryant
P. Rowlinson
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
M. J. Bryant
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
Get access

Abstract

A 2×2×2 factorial experiment investigated the effect on lactational oestrus in sows of housing system (group or singly housed; G v. S), boar presence (boar present or absent; B v. N) and feeding level (ad libitum or restricted; A v. R). All treatments were imposed from day 20 post partum until weaning at day 42. A total of 183 Camborough hybrid female pigs were used, providing between 21 and 24 animals within each cell in the experimental design.

The occurrence of oestrus during lactation was observed as: 0·40 for G compared with 0·10 for S (P<0·01); 0·36 for B compared with 0·14 for N (P<0·05); and 0·28 for A compared with 0·21 for R (NS). The only treatment in which a high proportion of sows (0·78) showed oestrus was the combination G-B-A. Oestrus occurred during lactation on average 11 -4 days after imposing treatments, on average at day 20 post partum and 31·6 days after farrowing, and no significant differences were apparent between treatments. Individual piglet and overall litter weight gains were significantly reduced on G compared with S treatments (P < 0·01).

Sow food intake was greater for the S compared with G, for N compared with B, and A compared with R treatments (P<0·001). Sows on the R treatment lost significantly more live weight than the A sows between days 20 and 42 (P<0·001). Singly-housed sows also lost more weight than group-housed sows between farrowing and day 42 (P<0·001), mainly because of losses occurring before day 20.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , June 1982 , pp. 283 - 290
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Brooks, P. H. and Cole, D. J. A. 1970. The effect of the presence of a boar on the attainment of puberty in gilts. J. Reprod. Fert. 23: 435–140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burger, J. F. 1952. Sex physiology of pigs. Onderstepoort J. vet. Res. 25: Suppl. 2, pp. 3–218.Google Scholar
Cole, D. J. A., Brooks, P. H. and Kay, R. M. 1972. Lactational anoestrus in the sow. Vet. Rec. 90: 681–683.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fahmy, M. H. and Dufour, J. J. 1976. Effects of post-weaning stress and feeding management on return to oestrus and reproductive traits during early pregnancy in swine. Anim. Prod. 23: 103–110.Google Scholar
Gadd, J. 1969. Ideas worth watching. Pig Fmg 17 (12): 24–25.Google Scholar
Hillyer, M. 1976. Suckling sows in groups. Pig Fmg 24 (6): 52–53.Google Scholar
Loebel, Von J. and Schlegel, W. 1972. [Studies on the sexual behaviour of lactating sows and its relationship to breeding performance.] Mh. VetMed. 27: 302–304.Google Scholar
MaClean, C. W. 1969. Observations on non-infectious infertility in sows. Vet. Rec. 85: 675–682.Google ScholarPubMed
Petchey, A. M., Dodsworth, T. L. and English, P. R. 1978. The performance of sows alnd litters, penned individually or grouped in late lactation. Anim. Prod. 27: 215–221.Google Scholar
Phelps, A. 1969. Batched sows served while suckling. Pig Fmg 17 (3): 46–47.Google Scholar
Rowlinson, P., Boughton, H. G. and Bryant, M. J. 1975. Mating of sows during lactation: observations from a commercial unit. Anim. Prod. 21: 233–241.Google Scholar
Rowlinson, P. and Bryant, M. J. 1976. The effect of lactation management on the incidence and timing of oestrus in lactating sows. Anim. Prod. 22: 139 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Rowlinson, P. and Bryant, M. J. 1981. Lactational oestrus in the sow. 1. The effect of the interval between farrowing and grouping on the incidence and timing of lactational oestrus in sows. Anim. Prod. 32: 315–323.Google Scholar
Self, H. L. and Grummer, R. H. 1958. The rate and economy of pig gains and the reproductive behavior in sows when litters are weaned at 10 days, 21 days, or 56 days of age. J. Anim. Sci. 17: 862–868.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Signoret, J. P. 1972. The mating behaviour of the sow. In Pig Production (ed. Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 295–313. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Sviben, M., Bajt, G., Šalehar, A., Herak, M. and Černe, F. 1969. [Effect on conception of the method of housing sows after mating.] Vet. Arh. 39: 241–244.Google Scholar