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Effect of Animal Density on Endocrine Development in Gilts¹

Auburn University, AL 36849

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the effect of social crowding on the development of endocrine organs involved in the reproductive process in growing and finishing gilts. One hundred four littermate gilts weighing approximately 30 kg were randomly assigned to treatment groups of either 8 or 16 pigs/pen. Gilts raised in pens of eight were allotted 1.06 m² per pig from 30 to 65 kg and 1.25 m² from 65 to 100 kg; whereas, one-half the area was provided for gilts raised in pens of 16. Littermate gilts raised in pens of 8 and 16 were slaughtered on the same day when the average weight of pigs reached 100 kg. At slaughter, the brain, adrenals, pituitary, uterus and ovaries were removed and weighed. The brain was lyophilyzed and reweighed to yield dry brain weight. Gilts raised in the low-density groups had heavier adrenal (P<.01), pituitary (P<.08), brain (P<.11), dry-brain (P<.02), uterine (P<.09) and ovarian (P<.07) tissues. Furthermore, significantly more gilts in the low-density, compared with the high-density groups, had ovulated at slaughter. In a second study, eight littermate gilts raised in pens of 8 or 16 and weighing approximately 100 kg were moved to individual pens and fitted with a jugular vein catheter. Following blood sample collection at 15-min intervals for 2 h, 200 IU of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) were infused into the cannula. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for an additional 2 h. There were no differences between basal or ACTH-stimulated concentrations of plasma cortisol between treatment groups. These data suggest that social crowding may affect the development of endocrine organs that are involved in the reproductive process.

¹ Published as journal article 4-861062 from the Alabama Agr. Exp. Sta., Auburn Univ., AL 36849

² Dept. of Anim. and Dairy Sci.

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