Acknowledgements Book of abstracts - Publicaties - Vlaanderen.be

Emma Baxter presents Oral paper 30
In Session 6: Free topics
Friday, 12 September 2008 from 16h15-16h30 in the Aula chaired by Elisabetta Canali
58
Oral paper 30
POSTNATAL PIGLET SURVIVAL INDICATORS IN CONVENTIONAL
AND ALTERNATIVE FARROWING SYSTEMS
E.M. Baxter 1,2 , S. Jarvis 1 , A.B. Lawrence 1 , S.A. Edwards 2
1 Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Sustainable Livestock Systems, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh,UK
2 Newcastle University, School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Agriculture Building, Newcastle
upon Tyne, UK
Improving piglet survival is an important challenge within the pig industry. The farrowing
environment represents a continuing dilemma: the piglet's needs must be matched with those of the
sow and farmer. Farrowing pigs in less restrictive systems facilitates natural behaviour and
enhances sow welfare. In order to improve survival in these alternative systems piglet survival
indicators could be identified that will assist in developing genetic selection strategies targeting
mortality.
Piglets (n=1347) from 111 sows were studied in three different farrowing environments
(Conventional=Crate, Alternative=Outdoor and Indoor Loose-housed). Generalised Linear Mixed
Models were used to identify behavioural and physiological indicators of piglet survival and to
determine interactions with farrowing environment.
Regardless of farrowing environment, birth weight was the most important postnatal physiological
survival indicator (W1=52.35, p