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Fertility, morality, and growth rate in pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. W. Menzies-Kitchin
A. W. Menzies-Kitchin
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, Cambridge
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Extract

1. Large White sows are more prolific than Large Black sows, but mortality up to 6 weeks is higher in the former breed. At 6 weeks, litters from both breeds contain practically the same number of pigs. At that age, however, pure-bred Large White pigs appear to be slightly heavier than those of the Large White/Large Black cross.

2. Sows show no significant deterioration in litter size or in litter weight at 6 weeks up to the tenth litter, but percentage death-rate tends to increase with farrow number.

3. There appears to be little advantage in producing litters with more than 12 pigs at birth. In litters containing more than 12 pigs the addition in number is more than off-set by an increase in death-rate.

4. There is no significant difference at 6 weeks between the average weights of pigs from litters of different size at birth. There is, however, a difference in average weight according to the number of pigs surviving at 6 weeks; the larger the number the lighter the pigs.

5. The season in which the sow farrows appears to exercise a considerable influence on survival rate at 6 weeks; approximately one pig more per litter surviving in the summer than in the winter months.

6. There is a definite negative correlation between the weight of the pigs at 6 weeks and the age at which they reach bacon weight. But the rate of post-weaning growth of the heavy pig is not necessarily greater than that of the light pig.

7. Post-weaning mortality appears to increase with increase in litter variation.

8. Litters which are fattened during winter months take longer to reach bacon weight than those fattened during summer.

9. Rapid growth rate and high grading results are not incompatible when the conditions of suitable rations, good stock, and proper management are observed.

10. The third and fourth week of age appears to be a critical stage in the life of the suckling pig, and especial care must be exercised in its treatment at that period.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 27 , Issue 4 , October 1937 , pp. 611 - 625
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1937

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References

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