Space allowance for dry sows in pens: Body condition, skin lesions, and performance

¹ Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: johnso17{at}uiuc.edu.

	Abstract

Effects of keeping pregnant sows in pens at different floor space allowances were evaluated to determine impacts of space on sow performance, productivity, and body lesions during 2 consecutive farrowings. Treatment groups of 5 sows/pen were assigned to 1.4, 2.3, or 3.3 m² floor space/sow or of 5 sows in individual stalls (1.34 m²). The experiment consisted of 6 replications (blocks 1 to 6), and within each block, measurements were recorded for 2 consecutive pregnancies and farrowings. A total of 152 sows were measured at 1 farrowing and 65 of those sows were measured at the successive farrowing (n = 214 records). Performance traits were BCS, BW, backfat (BF), days until rebred, and proportion culled. Litter traits were number of piglets born alive, male-to-female ratio, and proportions of stillborn, mummified, or dead piglets after birth. Litter performance measures were mean pig BW and gain and litter BW. Lesion scores were assessed at certain body regions. There were treatment and parity effects and interactions for several traits. Interaction of space treatment and parity occurred for sow mean BW, d 110 BW, BF, litter size, litter and piglet BW and gain, with most effects in parity 2, 3, and 4 sows. Space affected sow mean (P < 0.001) and d-110 BW (P < 0.05) and mean BF and adjusted BF (P < 0.001); sows in pens at 2.3 m² of space had greater (P < 0.05) BW and BF depth and primiparous sows had less (P < 0.05) BW than higher parity sows. Few differences were found for litter traits except for litter size, litter wean BW, and pig BW gain. Sows in pens at 3.3 m² had the largest (P < 0.05) litters. Wean BW was greater (P < 0.05) for litters born to sows that gestated in stalls. Sow BCS and lesion score were affected by floor space (P < 0.001) and parity (P < 0.01); BCS was reduced in sows in pens at 1.4 m², and their lesion score was consistently greater (P < 0.05) than that for other spacings. Primiparous sows often had least (P < 0.05) lesion scores. For sows in pens, linear and quadratic responses were detected for many of the traits assessed. As floor space increased, both BW and BF increased (P < 0.01), but as space decreased, lesion scores increased. Although effects of gestation system were found and lesion scores often were greater as space decreased, no difference in any productivity trait was remarkable with respect to sow welfare or performance in comparison with industry norms.

Key Words: body condition, group, lesion, stall, sow environment

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