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Crate and alternative housing systems of lactating sows
Kocourková, Zuzana ; Chaloupková, Helena (advisor) ; Kristýna, Kristýna (referee)
The aim of this work was to compare weight gain, mortality of piglets, and sows and piglets activity using permanent or temporary crating during lactation. Recently, animal breeding places great emphasis on improving welfare, by accepting their biological and behavioral needs.
It was predicted that there will be no differences in piglet mortality in both housing systems. There was predicted an increase in short-term effect of activity in sows at day 4 after opening the farrowing crate. 27 sows were included in this study. Sow activity was measured by changing her positions at Day 3, 4, 5 and day 25 and the level of cortisol at Day 5 and 25. Piglets were weighted at day3, 4, 5 and 25 and mortality was analyzed every day. The short-term (day 5th after farrowing) and long-term effect (on the 25th day after farrowing) after opening the farrowing crate was analyzed. All statistical models included the housing, parity sows and litter size. On the fifth day, the activity of sows freely in the pen was higher (p=0.002). Litter size had an effect on growth rate of piglets (p<0.001) and the frequency of "rolling" of the sows (p=0.009). Parity of sows had an influence on the activity of sows (p=0.04). Measurements on the 25th of day after farrowing showed the effect of parity of sows (p=0.013) and litter size (p<0.001) on weight gain of piglets, piglet mortality should only be affected by litter size (p=0.001). Type of crating had only a short-term effect on the activity of sows in the whole experiment. Cortisol levels between groups of sows did not differ. The type of crating had no significant effect on mortality and growth of piglets.
Temporary crating does not diminish the economic indicators of litter and also more provides welfare to sows and piglets. It would therefore be appropriate if permanent crating would be replaced by a temporal crating in the future.
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