FORENSIC INVESTIGATION OF SOW DEATHS IN THE INTENSIVE BREEDING SYSTEM

Nenad Stojanac,Vuk Vračar,Aleksandar Potkonjak,Bojan Toholj,Marko R Cincović,Ognjen Stevančević,Ivan Stančić

doi:10.46784/e-avm.v7i1.122

Nenad Stojanac, Vuk Vračar + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.46784/e-avm.v7i1.122

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Abstract

Sow mortality is a great challenge in intensive pig production worldwide. The aim of this study was to forensically examine the reason of sow death for a two-year period on two farms with intensive pig keeping, based on available data. In sows with a greater number of farrowings (over VII) greater number of deaths was found. Seasonality has an impact on sow mortality, in the summer period a larger number of sow death was found. Poor sow condition that usually occurs in the second half of lactation and after weaning, are the predisposition to the factors that lead to the sow death. On both examined farms in more than 60% of dead sows Clostridium spp. and Escherichia coli were isolated. In order to reduce the mortality of sows more attention should be paid to the older sows with a larger number of farrowings, provide better conditions in summer, cooling, and pay more attention to sows during the period from farrowing to the next insemination, respectively.

Highlights

Deaths of sows pose major challenges in pig production worldwide, causing direct economic losses in terms of saw loss, failure or drop of expected profit from piglets and the need of purchasing new gilts
In the European Union (EU), the implementation of new legislation dated 2013 implicates loose-housing of pregnant sows, i.e. group housing in shared boxes. Such housing system increases the risk of deaths because of potential injuries that are more likely than in the system, where sows are kept in individual boxes (Anil et al, 2003; Scott et al, 2009)
487 sows died on farms with the capacity of 2200 (Farm I) whereas 123 sows died at Farm II

Summary

Introduction

Deaths of sows pose major challenges in pig production worldwide, causing direct economic losses in terms of saw loss, failure or drop of expected profit from piglets and the need of purchasing new gilts. A range of factors is responsible for sow deaths. In the European Union (EU), the implementation of new legislation dated 2013 implicates loose-housing of pregnant sows, i.e. group housing in shared boxes. Such housing system increases the risk of deaths because of potential injuries that are more likely than in the system, where sows are kept in individual boxes (Anil et al, 2003; Scott et al, 2009). Poor body condition and stomach ulcers as factors associated with increased risk of death (Koketsu, 2000; Engblom et al, 2007; Sasaki and Koketsu, 2008). The size of the herd and seasonality could affect the rate of death in sows (Christensen et al, 1995; Koketsu, 2000)

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