Little information is available concerning conditions present at the time of parturition in swine. This study was conducted to determine whether the succession at birth was related to weight at birth, sex, condition (whether alive or stillborn) and time interval between pigs. Possible relationships between birth weight, sex, farrowing order, farrowing interval and stillbirths were also studied

Janssen, R. L.

Libal, G. W.

Wahlstrom, R. C.

English

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South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeSouth Dakota Swine Field Day Proceedings andResearch Reports, 1973 Animal Science Reports1973Interrelationships of Birth Weight, FarrowingOrder, Sex, Stillbirths and Farrowing Time Intervalof PigsG. W. LibalSouth Dakota State UniversityR. L. JanssenR. C. WahlstromFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sd_swine_1973This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Animal Science Reports at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in South Dakota Swine Field Day Proceedings and Research Reports, 1973 byan authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For moreinformation, please contact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationLibal, G. W.; Janssen, R. L.; and Wahlstrom, R. C., "Interrelationships of Birth Weight, Farrowing Order, Sex, Stillbirths and FarrowingTime Interval of Pigs" (1973). South Dakota Swine Field Day Proceedings and Research Reports, 1973. Paper 10.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sd_swine_1973/10S outh Dakota S tate Univers ity B rook ings , S outh Dak ota Department of Animal Science Agricultural E xperiment S tation A. S ,  S eries 73-46 Interrelations hip s  of B irth Weight,  Farrowing Order, S ex ,  Stillbirths and Farrowing T ime Interval of P igs G. W. Libal, R. L. Janss en and R. C. Wahls trom Little information is ava ilable concerning c onditions present at the time of parturition in s wine. T his s tudy was c onducted to determine whether the s uccess ion at birth was related to weig ht at birth, s ex ,  condition (whether alive or s tillborn ) and time interval between p igs . P oss ible relations hips between birth weight, sex ,  farrowing order, farrowing interval and s tillbirths were als o  s tudied. T hirty litters were used in this s tudy res ulting in the birth of 347 p igs . F or comp lete collection of data , an observer was p resent during the entire parturition period. T his involved 23 sec ond and third litter cross bred s ows and 7 firs t litter cross bred s ows . Eac h pig was identified with a birth sequence number within the litter and a record of time of birth, s ex ,  condition (whether alive or s tillborn) and wet birth weight was obtained . The p igs were then placed in a box under a heat lamp and they remained there until parturition was c omp leted and a dry birth weight was obtained. From this information, time interval between p igs born, average time interval and total farrowing time for eac h  litter were determined. Average wet birth weight and dry birth weig ht and the difference between the two were calc ulated for eac h  litter. B es ides the birth seq uence number the p igs were als o  ass igned to birth order groups to place all litters on a common bas is , although a great difference in litter s ize exis ted. Table 1 indicates the method used to allot the p igs to the five birth order groups . An examp le would be that in a litter of 1 1  p igs birth seq uence numbers would be 1 throug h 1 1  numbered in order of their birth. Thes e would then be ass igned to the five farrowing order groups . P igs one and two were ass igned to group one, p igs three and four to group two, p igs five, s ix and seven to group three, p igs eig ht and nine to group four and p igs ten and eleven to group five. T he farrowing order groups were ass igned because, when using birth seq uence numbers , fewer p igs would be rep resented in the hig h numbers than in the s mall numbers . T his typ e of grouping sp read the s maller litters and larg er litters over five groups . Res ults Litter s iz e  ranged from 4 to 16 pigs with an average litter s iz e  of 1 1 . 5  p igs and an average birth weig ht of 2 . 6  lb. Table 2 s hows the dis tribution of the 30 s ows observed within litter s ize  groups and the corresp onding average p ig birth weig hts for eac h litter s iz e  group . As expected, average pig birth weight declined as the litter s ize increased. 3 9  . I - 2 -Table 3 shows the effect of farrowing order on birth weight and the number of s tillborn pigs . Wet birth weight was obtained by wiping off the pig and weighing it immediately after farrowing.  Dry birth weight was taken after parturition was complete and the pigs had been under the heat lamp long enough to dry . Pigs farrowed in the firs t and last groups were heavier than those in the middle groups . However , there was no s ignificant correlation be tween birth order group and birth weight or birth sequence number and birth weigh t .  This finding is in contras t with work reported from Illinois where a significant positive correlation between birth sequence number and birth we ight had been found . Wet birth weight was highly correlated wi th dry birth weight , indicating that either weight was a satisfactory measurement for calculating correlations with other variables . Of the 1 7  s tillbirths observed , 10 were born in the last two groups of the farrowing order . Examining the li tters individually , it was found that 47% of the stillbirths occurred in the last three pigs farrowed . Illinois workers have reported that 75% of the s tillbirths occurred in the las t three pigs farrowed . Of the 347 pigs observed in this study , 1 7  or 4 . 9% were stillborn . Illinois workers have found the incidence to range from 5 to 10% . O f  the 30 litters in the study reported here , 43% had one or more stillbirths and all sti llbirths occurred in litters of nine or more pigs . Table 4 shows a summary of the time intervals between successive pigs born .  The tab le begins with interval two because the time o f  birth o f  the firs t pig was recorded as the beginning of parturition and the first interval would end at the birth of the second pig . The average interval be tween all pigs of all litters was about 20 minutes . When only live pigs were considered , the interval from the p revious pig averaged 1 7  minutes and the average interval from the p revious pig for stillborn pigs was 43 minutes .  Intervals of 2 1  minutes and 20 minutes for live pigs and 78 minutes and 54 minutes for stillborn pigs from sows and gilts , respectively , have been reported by Illinois workers . Table 5 summarizes the results related to litter size . There was a trend toward lower birth weight as litter size increased , resulting in a significant correlation ( - . 44) be tween birth weight and total li tter size including s tillb irths . A significant negative correlation ( - . 195)  also existed be tween condition (whether alive or stillborn) and birth weight . S tillborn pigs were lighter than those born alive . For all litters , the average total farrowing time was 2 1 4  minutes .  However , a great deal of variation in time · was observed . Farrowing time was not correlated with litter size . However , average interval between pigs was significantly correlated with litter size . As litter size increased , the time interval be tween pigs decreased . Birth sequence order was significantly correlated with interval between pigs . Time interval be tween pigs increased toward the end of the litter . No differences in any criteria were found due to the sex of the pigs . In this study , of the 347 pigs born , 1 74 were males and 1 73 females .  40 - 3 -Thirty sows were observed at parturition to study the relationships between birth weight , sex ,  farrowing order , farrowing interval and stillbirths in pigs . The pigs were allotted to five birth order groups to accommodate litters ranging in si ze from 4 to 16 pigs . There was no significant correlation between pig birth weights and farrowing order . Stillborn pigs were significantly smaller than live pigs born . Out of 347 pigs observed , 1 7  or 4 . 9% of the pigs were s tillborn and 47% of all s tillbirths occurred in the last three pigs born to the lit ter . Total farrowing t ime was not related to litter size . The interval between pigs was shor ter for large litters and stillborn pigs had a longer interval from the previous pig born than did live pigs . Sex distribution was equal and no relationship of sex with other criteria was observed . Table 1 .  Classification of P igs into Five Farrowing Order Groups Farr�wing _S!:._�--- ---- -- _ Litter size 1 2 3 4 5 - --- -- - - �-- ·--4 la 2 3 4 6 1 2 3 , 4  5 6 7 1 2 , 3  4 5 , 6  7 8 1 , 2 3 4 , 5 6 7 , 8  9 1 , 2  3 , 4  5 6 , 7  8 , 9  1 1  1 , 2  3 , 4 5 , 6 , 7  8 , 9  10 ' 1 1  12 1 , 2  3 , 4 , 5  6 , 7  8 , 9 , 10 1 1 ,  1 2  1 3  1 , 2 , 3  4 , 5  6 , 7 , 8  9 '  10 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3 14 1 , 2 , 3  4 , 5 , 6 7 , 8  9 '  10 , 1 1  12 , 1 3 , 14  1 6  1 , 2 , 3  4 , 5 , 6  7 , 8 , 9 , 10 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3 14 , 15 , 16 �umbers indicate pig birth sequence number . 41 Litter 4 5 8 9 10 1 1  12  1 3  14 15 1 6  �o the 30 Farrowing groups 1 2 3 4 5 - 4 -Tab le 2 .  Litter Size Group ings and Corresponding Pig Birth Weights s ize a No . of litters Avg . birth wt . ,  lb . 1 3 . 2  1 3 . 1 2 2 . 9  3 3 . 1  4 2 . 6  3 2 . 5 1 2 . 6  6 2 . 3  4 2 . 6  4 2 . 7  1 2 . 1 �-------litters wi th six or seven pigs were included in litters ob served . Tab le 3 .  Effect of Farrowing Order on Birth Weight and Number Sti llborn Avg . wet birth wt . , lb . Avg . dry birth wt . , lb . Total no . (all _fils) ( live _p!g_sJ_ --�llbo!11_ 2 . 7  2 . 6  1 2 . 5  2 . 4  2 2 . 5  2 . 4 4 2 . 6  2 . 5  6 2 . 7  2 . 6  4 42 - 5 -Tab le 4 .  Average Interval Betwe en Pigs by Pig Ntllllber Pig no . Avg . interval , min . No . of intervals 2 1 7  30 3 28 30 4 25 30 5 20 29 6 2 1  28 7 8 28 8 36 28  9 2 1  26 10 1 4  2 3  1 1  9 19 12  14  1 6  1 3  28  15 14 14 9 15 20 5 1 6  2 5  1 Avg . 20 3 1 7 T ab le 5 .  Relationships of Li tter S ize to Birth Weigh t ,  Farrowing T ime , Farrowing Interval and S ti llbirths Litter No . of Avg . birth Avg . farrowing Avg .  farrowing Avg . no . size li tters wt . , lb . time , min .  interval , min . s tillb orn 4 1 3 . 2  2 1 4  7 1  0 5 1 3 . 1  10 1 25 0 8 2 2 . 9  246 35 0 9 3 3 . 1  389 49 0 . 6 7  10 4 2 . 6  2 1 2  24 0 . 75 1 1  3 2 . 5  16 1 1 6  0 . 33 1 2  1 2 . 6  6 1  6 0 1 3  6 2 . 3  200 1 7  1 . 0 1 4  4 2 . 6  188 14 0 . 25 1 5  4 2 . 7  215  15  0 . 50 1 6  1 2 . 1 250 16 2 . 0 4 3  

Interrelationships of Birth Weight, Farrowing Order, Sex, Stillbirths and Farrowing Time Interval of Pigs

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Interrelationships of Birth Weight, Farrowing Order, Sex, Stillbirths and Farrowing Time Interval of Pigs

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