Effect of stress susceptibility on some reproductive traits in Belgian Landrace pigs

Abstract

The investigation included 1413 Belgian Landrace litters (305 first, 278 second and 832 later farrowings) issued from matings between 190 halothane-positive (HP) and 304 halothane-negative (HN) sows and 139 HP and 49 HN boars on seven commercial farms of West Flanders. Four groups of matings were investigated: HP × HP; HP × HN; HN × HP and HN × HN. All HN sows and boars were heterozygotes for halothane sensitivity. The results were statistically analysed by a linear model according to Harvey (1977), including the following factors: mean, farm, year, sensitivity group, interaction year × sensitivity group. This model explained between 10 and 24% of the total variance; within this an important portion is caused by the sensitivity × farm interaction factor. Abstracting this interaction there are indications that HN sows are more prolific, but only from the second farrowings, the number of piglets born alive in the second litter being on average 9.2 in HP vs 9.6 in HN sows and in the following litters on average 9.3 vs 10.3. In all litters of HN sows an additional gain of 0.2 piglets at weaning was found. No significant conclusions could be drawn for the effect of halothane sensitivity on the age at first farrowing and on the farrowing interval.