Effect of parity number, year and season farrowing on reproductive performance in Large White pigs

N S A Niyazov,G G Cherepanov,K S Ostrenko

doi:10.15421/2020_49

Abstract

This study examines certain identifiable non-genetic sources of variation (parity number, year and season farrowing) for their effects on Large White sow litter performance traits, such as litter size, mortality and weight of piglets at birth and at weaning. The population used for the present study is from a pig farm managed by Tavriys’ki svyni, LLC, located in Skadovsky district (Kherson Oblast, Ukraine). Reproductive performance records on 280 Large White (LW) sows were used. A total of 633 litters were farrowed from January 2007 to July 2017. The litter records included information on the total number of piglets born (TNB), number of piglets born alive (NBA), number of stillborn piglets (NSB), frequency of stillborn piglets (FSB), average weight of piglets at birth (AWPB), litter size at weaning (NW), piglet pre-weaning mortality (PWM) and average weight of piglets at weaning (AWPW). To determine the effect of parity number, year and month farrowing on reproductive performance traits, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Results obtained showed significant influence of parity number on most of the reproductive parameters studied, apart from AWPB, PWM and AWPW. The total litter size at birth was the lowest in primiparous sows and in cases second-parity sows, but significantly exceeded the overall average population estimation during the fourth-sixth parities farrowing. The least squares estimates of the mortality rate of piglets at birth were significantly lower than in second parity sows, however they significantly increased in sows at eighth parity. The year of the sow's farrowing had the most significant influence on the weight of piglets at birth and at weaning. Moreover, a clear upward trend can be noted in relation to the weight of piglets at birth, which is accompanied by a gradual increase of the corresponding least squares estimates during 2007-2015. Late summer and early autumn (August-October) are the seasons when the litter size traits in the LW sows consistently show the lowest values, indicating a ‘seasonal infertility period’. Thus, all the analysis performed in the present work shows that in the LW sows, as in other pig breeds, the parity number, year and season farrowing influence the reproductive and developmental processes.

Highlights

The increasing risks of environmental pollution by nitrogen released from pig industry runoff compel researchers to explore the possibility to reduce protein level in diets for growing-finishing pigs
In pigs of group II, in which the level of crude protein in feed was reduced to 151 g/kg and synthetic amino acids have been added, there was no significant decrease in average daily live weight gains (LWG), and animals of this group consumed less crude protein per kg of LWG compared to control, which is a positive factor in this experiment
The data obtained in the balance experiment confirm (Table 2) that a decrease in the level of crude protein with the addition of synthetic essential amino acids is an effective method of reducing nitrogen excretion

Summary

Introduction

The increasing risks of environmental pollution by nitrogen released from pig industry runoff compel researchers to explore the possibility to reduce protein level in diets for growing-finishing pigs. Studies on the scientific substantiation of the animal’s requirements in essential amino acids are important for the development of pork production technologies that reduce environmental pollution with nitrogen excreted by the animals in the urine and feces (Kendall et al, 1999; Zervas & Zijlstra, 2000; Figueroa et al, 2002; Otto et al, 2003; Ryadchikov, 2006; Niyazov & Kal’nitskii, 2014). Animals require diets with a balanced composition of essential amino acids. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of low-protein diets balanced by the bioavailable essential amino acids, on the rate of growth, efficiency of nutrient utilization and nitrogen excretion with urine and feces in growing-finishing pigs

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion