Effects of Gestational Housing on Reproductive Performance and Behavior of Sows with Different Backfat Thickness

作者：K. H. Kim, Abdolreza Hosseindoust, S.L. Ingale, S. H. Lee, Hyun Suk Noh, Yo Han Choi, Se-Min Jeon, Y. H. Kim, B. J. Chae · 发表于：Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences · 年份：2015 · DOI：10.5713/ajas.14.0973 · 被引用次数：35 · 研究领域：Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies、Animal Nutrition and Physiology、Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock

The present study investigated the effects of back-fat thickness at d 107 of gestation and housing types during gestation on reproductive performance and behavior of sows. A total of 64 crossbred sows (Landrace×Yorkshire) in their 3 to 4 parities were allotted to one of four treatments (n = 16) over two consecutive parities. During each parity, sows were assigned to two gestational housing types (stall or group housing) and two level of back-fat thickness (<20 or ≥20) at d 107 of gestation. Gestating sows were transferred from gestational crates to stalls or pens (group housing) 5 weeks before farrowing. All sows were moved to farrowing crates on d 109 of gestation. At weaning, back-fat thickness changes were lesser (p<0.05) in sows having back-fat thickness <20 mm than that of sows with ≥20 mm back-fat thickness at 107 d of gestation. Group housed sows had greater (p<0.05) feed intake and shorter (p<0.05) weaning-to-estrus interval than that of sows in stalls. At weaning, back-fat thickness changes were lesser (p<0.05) in group housed sows than that of sows in stalls. The number of piglets at weaning, growth rate and average daily gain were greater (p<0.05) in group housed sows than that of sows in stalls. During gestation, walking duration was more (p<0.05) in group housed sows. Group housed sows had lesser (p<0.05) farrowing duration and greater (p<0.05) eating time than that of sows in stalls. Result obtained in present study indicated that sows with ≥20 mm back-fat thick...