EVALUATION OF TWO DIFFERENT PIGLET FOSTERING APPROACHES

Being a polytocous species, the sow may ovulate till 30 follicles during each oestrus cycle, so the swine prolificity has been strongly pursue to improve the litter size in pig herds [1]. Nowadays, these more prolific sows are able to deliver till 20 piglets born alive per farrowing [2]. The difference of the birthweight and growth of the suckling piglets within a litter could be two to three fold different; this variation is associated with a high level of mortality and the litter size has the largest influence [3]. Weaning weight is also a key piece of information on farrowing room performance. Unfortunately, many causes could impair the sow to nurse and wean all the piglets born alive (number of teats, disgalactiae syndrome, gastric health). For these reasons, the “supernumerary” and “underprivileged” piglets need fostering to survive: foster mothers, associated to the bump or split-weaning management, and the artificial milk feeder [3]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the foster mother and the use of the artificial milk feeder in the modern suckling piglets management. The farrowing and weaning data of one pig farm, located in the north of Italy, adopting both the foster mothers and the artificial milk feeder for suckling piglets management were recorded within 75 weeks (2013-2014). The farm vets organized the grouping of the newborns by piglets and litter size. 4.410 farrowing, with a mean number of piglets born alive/sow of 15.64±0.7, and 55.201 piglets weaned were considered. Suckling piglets with any health disease were not included in the study. Piglet body weights at weaning, grouped by feeding method were analysed by ANOVA through the univariate procedure of the general linear model, using the feeding methods (mother, foster mother, artificial milk feeder) as fixed factor, the week of weaning as random variable and lactation length as covariate. 49147 piglets were weaned by their own mother (group M), 3470 by the foster mothers (group FM) using the bump weaning and 2584 by artificial milk feeders (group MF). The mean age at weaning was 26.5±1.64 days; while LS-means of weaning body weights were 6.38, 6.43 and 5.84 kg for M, FM and MF respectively, with 0.053 SE value. The statistical comparison between groups M and MS was not different, while group MF weight resulted different in comparison with M and FM (P≤0.001). In this study 6.054 piglets were weaned by fostering methods, the foster mother performing equal to the mother; even if the MF group was the worst, the mean body weights of 5.84 kg is acceptable and allowed piglet weaning without craving of additional sows, clearly reducing the weaning herd costs and efforts. In this study the artificial milk feeder allowed to save surplus piglets and reduces losses that might occur as a result of post-partum sow problems. In conclusion, the author would like to introduce a new parameter farrowing room: the total efficiency of the farrowing room/sow unit, in the modern pig production, corresponds to the efficiency of the sow (n. piglets weaned per farrowing) added technical efficiency (n. piglets weaned per farrowing) that comes from nursing or fostering closely related to the farrowing room staff work. [1] Soede et al. Reproductive cycles in pigs, Animal Reproduction Science, 124:251-8, 2011. [2] http://www.pigresearchcentre.dk. [3] Pluske et al. Weaning the pig. I ed. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2003.