Agriculture (Jul 2024)

The Effect of Different Farrowing Housing Systems on the Reproductive Performance of Sows and the Losses and Growth of Piglets

  • Pavel Nevrkla,
  • Jan Sečkář,
  • Eva Weisbauerová,
  • Pavel Horký,
  • Drahomíra Čtvrtlíková Knitlová,
  • Alena Lustyková,
  • Zdeněk Hadaš,
  • Miroslav Rozkot

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14071084
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 7
p. 1084

Abstract

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The aim of the experiment was to analyze the reproductive performance of sows and the losses and growth of piglets in three different systems of farrowing houses. A total of 120 sows of the Prestice Black-Pied breed were included in the study with 40 litters evaluated in each of the systems. The housing systems compared were conventional farrowing cages, pens with temporary fixation, and free farrowing pens. The housing system significantly affected the length of pregnancy (p p p p p 0.001). The piglets of the sows in the free housing system showed higher growth intensity when compared to piglets in the other housing systems. In conclusion, it can be stated that the lowest losses caused by the crushing of piglets were found in the cage systems. However, the combined system seems to be very perspective in terms of losses of piglets. The free-farrowing system has positive effects on the growth of piglets.

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