ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN FIRST PARITY WEAN-TO-SERVICE INTERVAL AND SOW LIFETIME PRODUCTIVITY TRAITS

Abstract

<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sows’ lifetime reproductive performance is a key component for farm productive efficiency and profitability. <strong> Objective:</strong> To investigate associations between first parity wean-to-service interval (WSI) and sows’ lifetime reproductive performance traits. <strong>Methodology:</strong> Data were collected in a 3,900-sows farrow-to-finish farm in Yucatan, Mexico. Lifetime productivity records included parity number at culling (NCP), lifetime number piglets born alive (LNBA) from parity two until culling, lifetime non-productive days (LNPD) and length of productive life (LPL) for 4,175 sows. Association between WSI and sow lifetime productivity traits were analyzed using general linear models, including year and season at first service as categorical fixed effects and WSI as linear and quadratic predictor. Cut-off values for WSI were estimated using regression trees analysis. <strong>Results:</strong> WSI was negatively associated (<em>P</em> < 0.05) with LNBA and NCP, positively (<em>P</em> < .05) with LNPD and non-associated with LPL (<em>P </em>> 0.05). Cut-off values for WSI varied for each predicted variable: WSI > 5 days would translate into longer 13 more days of LPL, WSI < 7 days would increase LNBA by two extra pigs, WSI ≥ 9 days increase NCP by 0.2 parities and WSI <10 days would mean 24 fewer LNPD. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Under the conditions of this study, shorter WSI were associated with improved lifetime productivity traits, confirming the importance of traits observed early in life as indicators of performance in subsequent parities.</p>