Goal: The current research investigated elements related to the incidence of stillbirth in younger hyper-prolific sows inside free farrowing programs in tropical environments.
Strategies: A complete of 714 live-born and 54 stillborn piglets from 57 Landrace × Yorkshire sows, with a mean parity of two.7 ± 1.0 (vary: 1 – 4), had been comprehensively investigated. Reproductive variables of the sows, together with gestation size, farrowing length, the entire variety of piglets born per litter, and the delivery order and standing of every piglet, had been recorded. Variations within the physiological traits of live-born and stillborn piglets, akin to delivery interval, cumulative delivery interval, physique weight at delivery, crown-rump size, physique mass index (BMI), ponderal index, meconium staining rating, and the proportion of piglets with a damaged umbilical wire, had been analysed. Piglets had been divided into 4 teams primarily based on the quartiles of delivery order (Q1–This autumn).
Outcomes: On common, the length of farrowing was 173.3 ± 85.9 min, and the entire variety of piglets born and variety of piglets born alive-per litter had been 14.1 ± 3.8 and 12.5 ± 3.5, respectively. The incidence of stillbirth was 6.7% (54/801 piglets). The upper percentages of stillbirths had been detected in sows with giant litter sizes (≥17 piglets, 10.9%) in comparison with these with small (≤13 piglets, 6.1%) and average (14 – 16 piglets, 2.8%) litter sizes. The incidences of stillbirth in Q3 and This autumn of the litters had been larger than in Q1 and Q2. In comparison with live-born piglets, stillborn piglets had larger cumulative delivery interval (103.0 ± 3.71 vs. 142.4 ± 9.35 min), BMI (17.1 ± 0.15 vs. 18.4 ± 0.39 kg/m2), ponderal index (63.7 ± 0.59 vs. 70.8 ± 1.59 kg/m3), meconium staining scores (1.78 ± 0.04 vs. 2.04 ± 0.10), and the proportion of piglets born with a ruptured umbilical wire (45.2% vs. 66.0%). A rise within the incidence of stillbirth was detected at 60, 120, 150, 180, and ≥ 210 min after the primary piglet was born, in comparison with these born inside the first 30 min of farrowing.
Conclusion: The research discovered that stillbirths in younger, hyper-prolific sows had been linked to a number of elements: giant litter sizes (≥17 piglets per litter), extended cumulative delivery intervals (142.4 min), elevated BMI of 18.4 kg/m2, excessive ponderal index values of 70.8 kg/m3, elevated meconium staining scores, and the next prevalence of ruptured umbilical cords. To scale back the chance of stillbirth, significantly amongst piglets with excessive physique indices born later within the birthing course of, it is suggested to boost farrowing supervision for younger sows, beginning at a cumulative delivery interval of 60 min.
Ngo C, Boonprakob R, Tummaruk P. Components contributing to stillbirth in younger hyper-prolific sows in a tropical free-farrowing system. Replica in Home Animals. 2024; 59(8): e14693. https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.14693
