SLU news
Thesis on reproduction in sows
Published: 22 March 2017
Ola Thomson has defended his thesis ”Sow reproduction and piglet performance in multi-suckling pens”
Some certified organic piglet production systems keep lactating sows with piglets in groups in multi-suckling pens. However, three factors have been identified as affecting certified piglet production in systems with multi-suckling pens: The occurrence of lactational oestrus, piglet mortality and within-litter weight variation at weaning.
In Ola’s thesis, the possibility to affect these three factors by altering management routines was investigated. Three different management routines were tested, where the time before the lactating sows with piglets were group-housed in a multi-suckling pen varied between one, two or three weeks.
The time from weaning to standing oestrus was significantly longer for sows that were group-housed already one week after the piglets were born. Also, piglet mortality in the multi-suckling pen was significantly higher in this group, and the sows appeared to be more stressed (as measured by cortisol concentrations in saliva).
