Abstract

GARCIA GONZALEZ, José Samuel; HERRADORA LOZANO, Marco Antonio  and  MARTINEZ GAMBA, Roberto Gustavo. Effect of sow's parity number, farrowing room, litter size and individual birth weight on the main causes of piglet mortality. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2011, vol.2, n.4, pp.403-414. ISSN 2448-6698.

Effects of litter size, farrowing room, individual birth weight and parity number on piglet mortality at farrowing were assessed. A total of 1,374 farrowing sows were evaluated for nine months. Sow parity number (SPN), birth date (BD), litter size (LS), live-born piglets (LBP), stillbirths (S), average individual piglet birth weight (PBW), farrowing facilities (FF), weaned piglets (WP), weaning weight (WW), preweaning mortality (PM) and cause and age of death were recorded. SPN was grouped from first to seventh parity. LS was ranked as follows, <8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and >13 piglets. PBW was ranked as follows, <1.26, 1.27 to 1.40, 1.41 to 1.56, and >1.57 kg. Effect of SPN on LS, LBP, S and WP was found (P<0.01), as well as of FF on LBP, S and WP (P<0.01). Mortality was due mainly to crushing (37.0 %), sacrifice (13.6 %) and low weight (12.8 %). Difference (P<0.05) for SPN and low weight at birth was found, and difference (P<0.05) for FF effect on mortality due to crushing, low weight, sacrificed and other causes was found too. Differences (P<0.01) due to LS for low weight at birth and starvation were found. It can be concluded that piglet mortality is due mainly to litter size and farrowing facilities.

Keywords : Piglets; Mortality causes.