Impact of sow parity on yield and composition of colostrum and milk in Danish Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows

Abstract

The present study aims to characterize the colostrum, milk yield and composition and to determine whether sow parity would influence yield and composition of colostrum and milk in Danish Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows. The data were collected from sow parity numbers 1 (n = 27), 2–4 (n = 48) and 5–6 (n = 30) from Danish Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows reared in a commercial swine herd in Thailand. The piglets were weighed on day 0 (<1 h), 1 (24 h), 3, 10 and 17 after birth to determine the colostrum and milk yields of the sows using a prediction equation. Milk samples were collected manually within 1 h of the onset of parturition and on days 3, 10 and 17 after farrowing to evaluate milk composition. A general linear model procedure was used to analyze the effects of sow parity numbers on colostrum yield and composition and a general linear mixed model procedure was used to analyze the effects of sow parity numbers on yield and composition of milk. The model included the fixed effects of sow parity number and time (day after parturition). The sow parity numbers 2–4 (7.0 kg) had a higher colostrum yield than 1st parity sows (5.4 kg, P = 0.002) and parity 5–6 sows (5.9 kg, P = 0.025). No evidence of parity differences was observed on milk yield (P = 0.306). No effect of sow parity numbers on fat, protein and lactose in milk was observed. The dry matter in sow parity numbers 2–4 (19.8 g/100 g) had a tendency to be higher than sow parity number 1 (18.6 g/100 g, P = 0.107) and 5–6 (18.4 g/ 100 g, P = 0.053). In conclusion, sow parity number had an impact on colostrum yield in Danish Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows in a tropical climate but did not influence colostrum, milk composition and milk yield. Colostrum yield in Danish Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred sows was the highest in sow parity numbers 2–4.