A comparison of piglet production and survival in the Werribee Farrowing Pen and conventional farrowing crates at a commercial farm

Abstract

The ‘Werribee Farrowing Pen’, which was developed as a loose housing alternative to the conventional farrowing crate for sows and litters, was evaluated as a practical alternative to farrowing crates. Four Werribee Farrowing Pens and 5 crates were installed side-by-side in an uninsulated grower pig shed at a commercial farm. The trial was conducted over 18 months and involved 17 batches of sows with a total of 146 commercial Pig Improvement Company Camborough sows and litters, 66 in Werribee Farrowing Pens and 80 in crates. The sows ranged in parity number from 1 to 8 (mean s.d., 2.8 1.77). Staff conducted an internal examination of sows at farrowing to manually deliver piglets half as often (P<0.05) in the Werribee Farrowing Pen compared to the crate treatment (13.6% v. 27.5% of sows, respectively). Whether this difference reflected a greater incidence of farrowing problems for crate treatment sows, or a reduced willingness by piggery staff to interfere with unrestrained sows in the Werribee Farrowing Pen treatment, is not known. There were no differences due to the farrowing system on the number of piglets born per sow (11.5 piglets) or weaned (9.4 piglets). Sows were fed ‘to appetite’ after the first week of lactation, and in 6 farrowing batches, the quantity of feed provided to sows each day was measured. Werribee Farrowing Pen compared to crate treatment sows received more feed (P<0.01) in week 3 of lactation (55.0 v. 48.2 kg/sow.week). We conclude that although piglet production and survival rates were similar in the two systems, the main disadvantage of the Werribee Farrowing Pen for intensive pig buildings, viz. extra floor space required per sow, may be partly offset by improved feed intakes by sows later in lactation.