Reproductive Performance of Late Pregnant Gilts Treated with Baypamun© before Farrowing

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the production results of pregnant gilts, grown under commercial farm conditions and moved from the sow keeping unit to the prefarrowing unit, could be increased by non-specific immunization with Baypamun© (Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany; BPM), an immune response modifier (IRM). We used three groups of pregnant gilts that obtained different treatments. Non-treated group A served as control; two experimental groups were treated on Day 6, 4 and 2 (group B), or on Day 5, 3 and 1 (group C), respectively, before their transfer from the sow keeping unit to the prefarrowing unit. The experimental gilts received i.m. 2 ml of IRM BPM, i.e. inactivated Parapoxovis virus (1 x 106.75 TCID50). Throughout the trial, the numbers of liveborn and stillborn piglets and the duration of farrowing were recorded. Variance analysis with the type of treatment as independent variable showed a significant difference between control (group A) and experimental group B in the number of liveborn piglets (P < 0.0001) as well as between group A and group B (P < 0.0001) or group C (P < 0.0001) in the number of stillborn piglets, respectively. No differences in duration of farrowing between groups were recorded.