Suckling and teat disputes by neonatal piglets

Abstract

To study the development of cyclic suckling behaviour and to examine the role of overt fighting in competition during suckling, we observed piglets from 29 litters during the first hours after birth. First- and second-born piglets usually suckled for the first time on a posterior teat, but this tendency was not apparent for later born piglets. During the first 8 h after birth, a piglet suckled an average of seven different teats. During the first few hours after birth, suckling bouts were frequent in a litter and tended to involve few piglets. As the piglets aged, the number of suckling bouts per hour decreased and the proportion of piglets.of the litter present at each bout increased. There was a continuous and gradual change in the suckling behaviour towards a cyclical suckling pattern. Anterior teats were preferred, as indicated by more frequent suckling and fighting. However, teat disputes were less frequent on the first teat pair than on the second and third. Regardless of teat position, piglets with the teat in their mouth at the beginning of a dispute had a higher probability of winning. The frequency of teat disputes was not affected by litter size, but piglets who suckled from many teats were involved in many disputes. Piglets that won more teat disputes suckled more frequently and tended to suckle more on one preferred teat pair. Heavier pigs won more of their disputes, but did not suckle more frequently, did not suckle from more teats and did not direct a greater proportion of their suckling bouts on anterior teats. We suggest that newborn piglets fight to gain access to a functional teat for the brief milk ejection rather than to gain access to anterior or to more productive teats.