HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sorrells, A. D. Articles by Richert, B. T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sorrells, A. D. Articles by Richert, B. T.

Postnatal behavioral and physiological responses of piglets from gilts housed individually or in groups during gestation

A. D. Sorrells^*,, S. D. Eicher^*,1, K. A. Scott^*, M. J. Harris, E. A. Pajor, D. C. Lay, Jr.^* and B. T. Richert

^* Livestock Behavior Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture; and and Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907

¹ Corresponding author: spruiett{at}purdue.edu

Gestational housing of sows remains a controversial issue that may affect the well-being of both sows and piglets. Therefore, 2 types of gestational housing were used to evaluate the stress imposed on pregnant gilts by each system and the effects on the offspring by comparing production, physiology, and behavioral measures of the piglets. Forty-eight Landrace x Yorkshire gilts were randomly assigned to groups (G) of 4 per pen (n = 8 pens; 3.9 m x 2.4 m) or to individual stalls (S; n = 16 stalls; 2.21 m x 0.61 m). Gilts were moved into individual farrowing crates 5 d before the expected farrowing date. Piglets were weighed at birth, d 14, and d 35. Two barrows from each litter were weaned at d 14 (early weaning) and housed together in pens. Maintenance behaviors (head in feeder, drinking, lying, eating mash) were videotaped and observed for the first 3 d after weaning using a 10-min interval scan sampling. Belly nosing and play/fight interactions were recorded from video observations for 3 d postweaning. An isolation test (30-min duration) was performed on one piglet from each pen of barrows on d 35. Time spent lying, the number of jumps against test box walls, and grunts and squeals were recorded in real time. Salivary cortisol was collected at 30-min intervals from baseline, and 0, 30, 60, and 90 min posttest. Jugular blood was collected from 2 barrows from each litter on d 1, 7, 14, 17, 21, and 28. Plasma TNF- was analyzed by ELISA, and haptoglobin, ₁-acid glycoprotein, and immunoglobulin G were analyzed by radial immunodiffusion. More piglets from the S treatment needed to be fed a liquid feed at weaning and drank more frequently on d 2 postweaning (P < 0.05). Additionally, by d 35 piglets from S gilts had a lighter BW (10.3 kg) than G piglets (12.8 kg; P < 0.01). Piglets from S gilts also grunted more during the 30-min isolation test (number of grunts = 356) than G piglets (number of grunts = 138; P < 0.01). Salivary cortisol and immune measures were not different. These data show some behavioral and production differences between piglets from individually stalled gilts and group-housed gilts. Therefore, there may be production advantages to housing first parity gilts in groups.

Key Words: acute phase response • behavior • isolation test • prenatal stress • swine gestational housing

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. D. Sorrells, S. D. Eicher, M. J. Harris, E. A. Pajor, and B. T. Richert Periparturient cortisol, acute phase cytokine, and acute phase protein profiles of gilts housed in groups or stalls during gestation J Anim Sci, July 1, 2007; 85(7): 1750 - 1757. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]