Så varmt bliver det i farehytten

Ny undersøgelse klarlægger, hvor meget temperaturen påvirker pattegrisdødelighede

Promoting neonatal piglet survival in organic pig production through improved management and housing

Planned for next year So far the plan is: To provide access to a shaded/cooled hut Alternatives: Reducing cold stress of piglets during winter E.g. using different quantities (use during winter approx. 40 kg per hut) or lengths of straw Providing access to shaded wallow Providing birth supervision/assistance Obstetric aid, drying of piglets Nursing sow

VÆRDIFULDE RESTPRODUKTER

HVIS DU VIL reducere dit forbrug af højværdi-foderemner som korn og proteinafgrøder, kan det være en god idé at fodre dine økologiske grise med restprodukter i stedet. Men hvilke restprodukter kan man bruge? Det spørgsmål og mange andre undersøges netop nu i projektet Wi-Fi (Vinterfodring af økologiske søer), hvor SEGES Økologi Innovation, Center For Frilandsdyr, Aarhus Universitet og Vestjyllands Andel arbejder sammen om at kortlægge forekomsten af restprodukter fra den danske økologiske fødevareproduktion

Increase sustainability of organic pig production with more vital piglets

About every third piglet dies before weaning within the Danish organic pig production, making the organic piglet mortality higher, than what is seen in the conventional indoor production. The high piglet mortality is in conflict with both the idea of increased animal welfare and the organic principles. As most of the piglets die within the first days after farrowing, improving the thermal conditions around the time of farrowing is important, since the thermal environment in many cases may be a significant contributor to piglet death also for piglets that are categorized as crushed or starved to death. This paper describes a subproject under the larger Danish VIPiglets project with the overall aim to reduce piglet mortality in Danish organic pig production. The subproject described in this paper has three overall aims concerning 1) ways to improve the thermal environment around the time of farrowing 2) how the temperature and humidity inside the farrowing hut relate to piglet mortality 3) how temperature affects farrowing duration and inter birth interval. Studies concerning aim two and three are still ongoing and so no results are presented. In the study concerning aim one the average total litter size was 17 piglets and total piglet mortality was 31%. The study showed that providing sows with access to poplar trees (a shaded area) significantly affected paddock use compared to sows without a shaded area (control sows), by increasing the use of the paddock before farrowing and day zero and one post partum (pp) (F4,218=2.91, p<0.05) and the paddock use particularly increased at hot temperatures. Furthermore the sows with access to poplar were lying more when outside compared to controls (29 % vs 18 % respectively; F1,70=15.13, p<0.0005). In general the sows were seen lying more in the paddock at high temperature compared to low temperature particularly before farrowing, on day 0 and 1 pp and again after day 11 pp

Notat: Restprodukters potentiale som foder til økologiske grise

Det ligger i tiden, at alt spild skal undgås. Denne artikel sætter spot på, om restprodukter fra fødevareindustrien kan udnyttes bedre, end tilfældet er i dag. Nyt projekt skal kortlægge adgangen til og potentialet i økologiske restprodukter

Er der brug for søer med ny genetik i dansk økologisk svineproduktion?

Ny forskning peger mod, at den økologiske svineproduktion kan have fordele af at anvende moderdyr, der føder færre men større grise end dem, der i dag udbydes

Identification of sow level risk factors on early piglet mortality in Danish organic sow herds during different seasons

The objective of this study was to identify season, litter size, sow parity and sow health as risk factors for still birth and early piglet mortality in Danish organic pig herds

Behaviour of organic lactating sows given access to poplar trees

The aim of the current study was to investigate how access to poplar trees (an alternative shaded area) affects signs of heat stress and paddock use in lactating sows

Odor exploration behavior of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa) as indicator of enriching properties of odors

Introduction and aim: Although the sense of smell in pigs is widely recognized as being highly developed, surprisingly little is known about their sensory ability. This study aimed to (a) identify which non-social odors pigs were able to detect and distinguish between, (b) investigate the types of behavior expressed when exploring odors and, (c) compare pigs’ responses to the different odors to evaluate their interest in the odors.Methods: Growing pigs (N = 192) of crossbred commercial breeds were enrolled in the experiment (32–110 days of age, weighing 64.9 ± 10.1kg). Littermate pairs of opposite sex were tested in test pens with two odor insertion points in the pen wall, 55 cm apart. All pigs were habituated to the test pens and experimenters. Twelve odors were tested (eight essential oils and four synthetic perfumes) in groups of three odors, with each pig pair tested once with one set of three odors (all possible orders of the three odors were tested on 24 pairs in total), always against a non-odor control (demineralized water). In a test, each of the three odors were presented during three trials in a row (a total of 9 trials per test; trial duration: 1 min; inter-trial breaks: 2 min; total test duration: 25 min). Response variables included: duration of sniffing, feeding-related behavior (licking, biting and rooting), agonistic behavior (biting, displacement and pushing) and no approach of the odor or control, recorded throughout each 1-min odor presentation.Results: All pigs sniffed an odor less when repeatedly presented (LMM: all odors P Conclusion: Collectively, pigs express sniffing, agonistic, and feeding-related behavior when exploring odors, which suggests that pigs perceive odors of non-social origin as a resource. Odors may thus constitute relevant enrichment material for pigs

Giving birth outdoors: Impact of thermal environment on sows parturition and piglet survival

About one-third of the piglets born in organic pig production die before weaning at 7 weeks of age. Studies report varying piglet mortalities across the year with increases during summer and winter.The temperature inside the farrowing hut during summer may exceed the upper critical temperature for parturient and lactating sows, which may result in sows experiencing hyperthermia. This condition has been related to prolonged parturitions and lowered lactation performance. Thereby, hyperthermia increases the risk of stillbirth and postnatal mortality. Low temperature may cause hypothermia in piglets if nest temperature is insufficient and hypothermia is a common cause of early liveborn mortality. Thus, the main aim of the current PhD project was to quantify the thermal conditions inside the farrowing hut and to obtain knowledge about how these impact the course of parturition, thermoregulation in lactating sows and early piglet mortality.Four studies were conducted. Study 1 was an observational study including data collection at five commercial organic pig-producing herds. At each herd, data loggers placed inside A-frame huts recorded and stored temperature and humidity, and farmers recorded production results.The study showed that piglet mortality varied across the year with a lower risk of stillbirth during winter (Dec, Jan, Feb; P=0.004) and lower risk of liveborn death until castration in spring (Mar, Apr, May; P=0.009). During winter, the risk of stillbirth increased with increasing temperature variation between day 1 pre-partum and the day of parturition (P=0.013).During the remaining part of the year, the risk of stillborn piglets increased at hut temperatures ≥27°C (P=0.002). Hut temperature had no significant effect on postnatal mortality. Hut humidity affected neither the risk of stillborn piglets nor postnatal mortality. Study 2 was an observational study conducted at an experimental farm. Eighty-seven parturitions were video filmed, and the time of birth of each piglet was recorded along with sow posture during parturition. The results showed that an increase in parturition duration increased the risk of having litters with stillborn piglets (P=0.003) and the odds of liveborn piglets dying before day 4 postpartum (P=0.051). The median parturition lasted 4.3 hours.Posture changes during parturition did not affect liveborn mortality. Study 3 was also an observational study, and data were collected at an experimental herd and at a commercial organic pig-producing herd. Again, sow parturitions were video filmed, and information on time of birth of each piglet and sow posture was recorded. Furthermore, data loggers recorded and stored hut temperature, and on day 1 to 3 postpartum sow surface temperature and respiration frequency were recorded. The results of Study 3 showed that the level of thermoregulation, on day 1 postpartum increased with increasing hut temperature, reflected by an increase in maximum surface temperature (P<0.001) and respiration frequency (P<0.001). Neither the duration of parturition nor the hourly number of posture changes during parturition were significantly related to hut temperature. Study 4 was an experimental study conducted at a commercial herd where 57 sows had access to poplars in the farrowing field. Behavioural observations of sows’ use of the paddock(14 sows with access to poplars and 14 without access) and sows’ use of the area with poplar trees (57 sows with access) were conducted. During Study 4,access to poplars in interaction with hut temperature affected the sows’ use of the farrowing hut (P=0.001). Sows with access to poplars were observed less inside the hut when hut temperature increased, whereas this was not the case for sows without access to poplars. The odds of observing sows inside the poplar tree area were not significantly affected by hut temperature. On the contrary; when sows were inside the poplar area, the odds of sows lying increased with increasing hut temperature (P<0.001). Across the year, temperature inside insulated farrowing huts reached levels above the upper critical temperature of lactating sows and far below the lower critical temperature of neonatal piglets. High temperatures increased the risk of stillbirth, whereas no effect of high or low hut temperature could be shown for postnatal mortality. This could be due to 1) sows being able to thermoregulate through behaviour postpartum thereby avoiding potentially negative impacts of high temperature on lactation performance and 2) a sufficient microclimate in the nest reducing negative effects of low ambient temperature. A prolonged parturition increased the risk of piglet mortality. However, hut temperature did not significantly affect the course of parturition, which was likely due to the relatively low hut temperatures measured even during the warmest periods of the study. Increasing hut temperature resulted in increased level of physiological thermoregulation reflected as increased sow surface temperature and respiration frequency. At increasing temperature, sows inside the poplars were more often lying, suggesting they thermoregulated using behavior.In conclusion, high hut temperature contributed to piglet mortality by increasing the risk of stillborn piglets, whereas, with proper management, low temperature appeared to have no negative impact on piglet mortality.Thus,counteracting high temperatures during the warm part of the year seems essential for piglet survival