Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T15:29:46.089Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Does hut climate matter for piglet survival in organic production?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2018

S.-L. A. Schild Open the ORCID record for S.-L. A. Schild [Opens in a new window] ,
L. Foldager ,
M. K. Bonde ,
H. M.-L. Andersen  and
L. J. Pedersen
S.-L. A. Schild*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
L. Foldager
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé 8, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
M. K. Bonde
Affiliation:
Center of Development for Outdoor Livestock Production, Marsvej 43, DK-8960 Randers, Denmark
H. M.-L. Andersen
Affiliation:
Department of Agroecology – Agricultural Systems and Sustainability, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
L. J. Pedersen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Piglet mortality in outdoor production systems varies across the year, and a reason for this variation could be fluctuations in hut climate, as ambient temperature might influence piglet survival, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of farrowing hut climate and year variation on stillbirth and liveborn mortality. A large-scale observational study was conducted at five commercial organic pig-producing herds in Denmark from June 2015 to August 2016. Both year variation (F3,635=4.40, P=0.004) and farrowing hut temperature (F2,511=6.46, P=0.002) affected the rate of stillbirths. The risk of stillborn piglets was lowest in winter and during this season larger changes in hut temperature between day 1 prepartum and the day of farrowing increased the risk of stillbirths (F1,99=6.39, P=0.013). In addition, during the warm part of the year stillbirth rate increased at temperatures ⩾27°C. Year variation also affected liveborn mortality (F3,561=3.86, P=0.009) with a lower rate of liveborn deaths in spring. However, the hut climate did not influence liveborn deaths. Consequently, other factors than hut climate may explain the influence of year variation on liveborn mortality. These could be light differences causing seasonality in reproduction and lactation.

Keywords

neonatal piglet mortalityorganicoutdoor pig productiontemperaturehumidity
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , April 2019 , pp. 826 - 834
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Algers, B and Jensen, P 1990. Thermal microclimate in winter farrowing nests of free-ranging domestic pigs. Livestock Production Science 25, 177–181.Google Scholar
Bassett, JM, Bray, CJ and Sharpe, CE 2001. Reproductive seasonality in domestic sows kept outdoors without boars. Reproduction 121, 613–629.Google Scholar
Baxter, EM, Jarvis, S, Sherwood, L, Robson, SK, Ormandy, E, Farish, M, Smurthwaite, KM, Roehe, R, Lawrence, AB and Edwards, SA 2009. Indicators of piglet survival in an outdoor farrowing system. Livestock Science 124, 266–276.Google Scholar
Berger, F, Dagorn, J, Le Denmat, M, Quillient, JP, Vaudelet, JC and Signoret, JP 1997. Perinatal losses in outdoor pig breeding. A survey of factors influencing piglet mortality. Annales de Zootechnie 46, 321–329.Google Scholar
Bracke, MBM 2011. Review of wallowing in pigs: description of the behaviour and its motivational basis. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 132, 1–13.Google Scholar
Fraser, AF 1970. Studies on heat stress in pigs in a tropical environment. Tropical Animal Health and Production 2, 76–86.Google Scholar
Hales, J, Moustsen, VA, Nielsen, MB and Hansen, CF 2014. Higher preweaning mortality in free farrowing pens compared with farrowing crates in three commercial pig farms. Animal 8, 113–120.Google Scholar
Heitman, H, Hahn, L, Bond, TE and Kelly, CF 1962. The effects of modified summer environment on swine behaviour. Animal Behaviour 10, 15–19.Google Scholar
Kammersgaard, TS, Pedersen, LJ and Jorgensen, E 2011. Hypothermia in neonatal piglets: interactions and causes of individual differences. Journal of Animal Science 89, 2073–2085.Google Scholar
KilBride, AL, Mendl, M, Statham, P, Held, S, Harris, M, Cooper, S and Green, LE 2012. A cohort study of preweaning piglet mortality and farrowing accommodation on 112 commercial pig farms in England. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 104, 281–291.Google Scholar
Lawrence, AB, Petherick, JC, McLean, K, Gilbert, CL, Chapman, C and Russell, JA 1992. Naloxone prevents interruption of parturition and increases plasma oxytocin following environmental disturbance in parturient sows. Physiology and Behavior 52, 917–923.Google Scholar
Lucas, EM, Randall, JM and Meneses, JF 2000. Potential for evaporative cooling during heat stress periods in pig production in Portugal (Alentejo). Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 76, 363–371.Google Scholar
Macchi, E, Cucuzza, AS, Badino, P, Odore, R, Re, F, Bevilacqua, L and Malfatti, A 2010. Seasonality of reproduction in wild boar (Sus scrofa) assessed by fecal and plasmatic steroids. Theriogenology 73, 1230–1237.Google Scholar
McGinnis, RM, Marple, DN, Ganjam, VK, Prince, TJ and Pritchett, JF 1981. The effects of floor temperature, supplemental heat and drying at birth on neonatal swine. Journal of Animal Science 53, 1424–1432.Google Scholar
Mount, LE 1959. The metabolic rate of the new-born pig in relation to environmental temperature and to age. The Journal of Physiology 147, 333–345.Google Scholar
Oliviero, C, Heinonen, M, Valros, A, Hälli, O and Peltoniemi, OAT 2008. Effect of the environment on the physiology of the sow during late pregnancy, farrowing and early lactation. Animal Reproduction Science 105, 365–377.Google Scholar
Olsson, AS, Whittaker, A, Martin, F, Peron, F, De Giorgio, F, Mejdell, C and VanVollenhoven, E 2017. Ethical treatment of animals in Applied Animal Behaviour Research. Retrieved on 9 July 2018 from https://www.applied-ethology.org/cgi-bin/showpage.fcgi Google Scholar
Panzardi, A, Bernardi, ML, Mellagi, AP, Bierhals, T, Bortolozzo, FP and Wentz, I 2013. Newborn piglet traits associated with survival and growth performance until weaning. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 110, 206–213.Google Scholar
Pedersen, LJ, Berg, P, Jorgensen, G and Andersen, IL 2011. Neonatal piglet traits of importance for survival in crates and indoor pens. Journal of Animal Science 89, 1207–1218.Google Scholar
Pedersen, LJ, Larsen, MLV and Malmkvist, J 2016. The ability of different thermal aids to reduce hypothermia in neonatal piglets. Journal of Animal Science 94, 2151–2159.Google Scholar
Pedersen, LJ, Malmkvist, J, Kammersgaard, T and Jorgensen, E 2013. Avoiding hypothermia in neonatal pigs: effect of duration of floor heating at different room temperatures. Journal of Animal Science 91, 425–432.Google Scholar
Peltoniemi, OA and Virolainen, JV 2006. Seasonality of reproduction in gilts and sows. Society of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 62, 205–218.Google Scholar
Peltoniemi, OAT, Heinonen, M, Tuovinen, VK, Saloniemi, H and Love, RJ 1997. Characteristics of seasonal infertility of the sow in Finland. In Proceedings of the 9th International Congress in Animal Hygiene, 17–21 August 1997, Helsinki, Finland, pp. 208–211.Google Scholar
Prunier, A, de Bragança, MM and Le Dividich, J 1997. Influence of high ambient temperature on performance of reproductive sows. Livestock Production Science 52, 123–133.Google Scholar
Quiniou, N and Noblet, J 1999. Influence of high ambient temperatures on performance of multiparous lactating sows. Journal of Animal Science 77, 2124–2134.Google Scholar
Randolph, CE, O’Gorman, AJ, Potter, RA, Jones, PH and Miller, BG 2005. Effects of insulation on the temperature within farrowing huts and the weaning weights of piglets reared on a commercial outdoor pig unit. Veterinary Record 157, 800–805.Google Scholar
Rangstrup-Christensen, L, Krogh, MA, Pedersen, LJ and Sørensen, JT 2016. Sow-level risk factors for stillbirth of piglets in organic sow herds. Animal 11, 1078–1083.Google Scholar
Rangstrup-Christensen, L, Schild, S-LA, Pedersen, LJ and Sørensen, JT 2018. Causes of preweaning mortality in organic outdoor sow herds. Research in Veterinary Science 118, 171–180.Google Scholar
Vanderhaeghe, C, Dewulf, J, Ribbens, S, de Kruif, A and Maes, D 2010. A cross-sectional study to collect risk factors associated with stillbirths in pig herds. Animal Reproduction Science 118, 62–68.Google Scholar
Yun, J, Swan, K-M, Vienola, K, Farmer, C, Oliviero, C, Peltoniemi, O and Valros, A 2013. Nest-building in sows: effects of farrowing housing on hormonal modulation of maternal characteristics. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 148, 77–84.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Schild et al. supplementary material

Figure S1

Download Schild et al. supplementary material(File)
File 269.9 KB