Browsing by Subject "sow behavior"

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    Evaluating Nutritional Strategies In The Late Gestation And Lactation Period To Improve Sow And Litter Performance, Behavior And Piglet Survivability
    (2023-07) Silva Junior, Sudario Roberto
    The present thesis investigated the effects of feeding frequency on sow and litter performance, including sow body weight, backfat, feed intake, piglet survivability, and litter performance during lactation. At d 109 of gestation, 298 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire; BW 245 ± 3.2 kg; parity 2.54 ± 0.21) were blocked by parity and randomly assigned to one of two treatments. The treatments consisted of feeding sows either twice daily at 0730 and 1530 h (2x/day) or three times daily at 0730, 1130, and 1530 h (3x/day). Sows were fed a corn-soybean meal- containing 3.4 Mcal of ME/kg and 1.03% SID Lys. Sow BW and BF measurements were recorded at d 109 and at weaning. Litters were cross-fostered within treatments within 24-h after farrowing, and litter weights were collected at 12-h post-farrow, and at weaning. A subset of sows was used to evaluate nutrient digestibility (n = 45) and behavior (n = 26). No differences were observed in sow body weight and backfat thickness between 2x/day or 3x/day (P > 0.10). However, sows fed 3x/day tended to have a greater (P = 0.05) decrease in backfat thickness from entry to farrowing until weaning. Sows fed 3x/day had similar average daily feed intake (P = 0.48) and similar total feed intake (P = 0.47) compared to the 2x/day group. Piglet survivability was greater in the 3x/day group (P < 0.01), with a survival rate of 92 % at weaning compared to 88 % in the 2x/day group. Litter performance, including litter size, litter weight, and average daily gain, was not different between the feed strategies (P > 0.10). Subsequent reproductive performance parameters were also not different across feeding strategies (P > 0.10). Sows in the 2x/day group were more active than sows in the 3x/day group (P < 0.01), indicating increased activity in response to reduced feeding frequency. In terms of nitrogen and energy balance, no differences were observed between the groups (P > 0.10). Digestibility coefficients for nutrients and energy did not differ between the two feeding frequency strategies (P > 0.10). In conclusion, feeding sows three times daily demonstrated potential benefits in terms of piglet survival and reduced total activity during lactation.
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    QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF HUNGER IN PREGNANT SOWS: PHYSIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL AND PERFORMANCE RESPONSES TO FEEDING TIME AND FREQUENCY UNDER LIMIT-FED REGIME
    (2019-12) Manu, Hayford
    The objectives of this dissertation were to determine the effects of feeding time and frequency on physiological and behavioral responses to hunger and investigate the impact on sow and litter performance under normal production conditions. Series of experiments were conducted to achieve these objectives. In exp. 1 and 2, a total of N = 300 sows (TN 70; Landrance X Yorkshire, Topigs Norsvin USA, Burnsville, MN) were used for the piglets and sow performance experiments. Sows were blocked by parity and farrowing date, balanced for BW, and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments in a randomized complete block design. A subsample of n = 30, n = 40, (exp. 3) and n = 30 (exp. 4) sows were used for behavior, stress physiology, and hunger experiments, respectively. Treatments include sows fed corn-soybean meal-based diet once at [0730 (Control, T1), 1130 (T2), or 1530 h (T3)], twice [half ration at 0730 and 1530 h (T4)], or thrice [one third portion at 0730, 1130, and 1530 h (T5)], with daily feed quantity kept at 1.25× maintenance energy intake (100 × (BW)0.75) kcal ME/d. Treatments were imposed from d 30 to 109 of pregnancy for the performance exp. In the physiology and behavior exp., treatments were imposed from d 30 to 60 of gestation. Results showed that sows fed 2× daily during gestation had reduced incidence of stillbirth and improved the number of piglets weaned. Feeding time to elicit maximum insulin responses are 0730 and 1130 h but not at 1530 h. Elevated sow activity might not necessary indicate activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Feeding sows 2× daily reduced sows’ feed anticipatory activity, total activity, and feeding activity, and activation of the HPA axis. Consumption of 3 small meals (2311 kcal/meal) in 8 h resulted in 9.0% reduction in 23-h glucose total AUC. It is suggested that hunger in pregnant sows occurs at active ghrelin/total PYY ratio of 5.06 ± 0.20 and at a mean plasma glucose concentration of 70.37 ± 1.39 mg/dL and below. These studies provide insight to feed pregnant sows twice daily to improve their welfare and enhance pig productivity.