Objective: Direct comparison of an alternative farrowing pen with a conventional gestation crate in the farrowing area, with a focus on animal welfare and performance.
Material and methods: Over one year, data of 129 sows and their 2109 piglets (thereof 1935 live births) were obtained in seven passes. In total, 65 sows (experimental group, VG) were stalled in a farrowing pen with an openable crate, while 64 sows (control group, KG) were maintained in a closed farrowing pen (gestation crate). The body condition score (BCS) was evaluated for the sows while losses and weight were assessed for the piglets. The evaluation was performed 9-10 days after the mother sows were stalled (evaluation time point 1 = BZP1) and 21 days later (BZP2). In the VG, the crate was opened 5-17 days after farrowing. The experimental protocol scheduled the opening after day 7, which is why evaluation was conducted both by days (period [ZR] 1 from days 1-7, ZR2 from day 8 onwards) and based on crate opening (open: group Vo, closed: group Vg).
Results: The mean piglet growth (VG: 5169.4 ± 787.9 g; KG: 5304.2 ± 873.3 g) did not differ significantly. The BCS of the sows at BZP1 (VG: 3.30 ± 0.47; KG: 3.33 ± 0.52) was almost equivalent in both groups, whereas at BZP2, the sows in the VG were significantly (p = 0.001) better conditioned (VG: 2.82 ± 0.54; KG: 2.50 ± 0.48). There were no significant differences in the total losses between VG and KG. From days 1-7, the relative crushing losses in the VG with the pen closed were significantly (p = 0.016) lower than in the KG. From day 8 onwards, no significant difference between the groups Vo and Vg was observed. The mean number of liveborn piglets per sow was 15.1 in the VG and 14.9 in the KG.
Conclusion and clinical relevance: With immobilization of the sow during the neonatal period of the piglets, the tested farrowing pen proved to be an alternative to a gestation crate for this farm in terms of the production data. Because losses are not only associated with the housing system, a combination of this more animal-friendly farrowing pen with a different genetic approach (less piglets/litter) may yield breeding results similar to the conventional system.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.