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The study aimed to compare the welfare and performance of sows and piglets in three different farrowing systems (farrowing crate (FC) and farrowing pen with temporary crating (TC): SWAP and JLF15).
Methods: One batch of crossbred Duroc was followed in every season. There were 18 sows (183 piglets) in farrowing crates, 23 sows (243 piglets) in SWAP, and 23 sows (237 piglets) in JLF15. Farrowing day was Day 0 and weaning occurred on day 24. The crating period was from entry to weaning in the farrowing crates, and from 1-day pre-expected farrowing day to day 3 in the farrowing pens with temporary crating. Social interactions between littermates, between sows and piglets, and exploration by sows and piglets were observed on days 2, 4,12, and 23. Video recordings of crushing events which led to piglets’ death were studied. Piglets were weighed on day 3 and day 19, and foreleg abrasions were assessed on day 19. Sow saliva samples were collected on 1 day before and after temporary confinement, day 2, 4, 12, and 23 to evaluate cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA) levels.
Results: The piglets in the farrowing pens with temporary crating initiated naso-naso contacts with sows more frequently than the farrowing crate piglets on day 2. Sows in farrowing pens with temporary crating interacted with piglets more frequently than those in farrowing crates on day 12. Sows in farrowing pens with temporary crating explored the pens more frequently than those in farrowing crates on day 4. Crushing rate (i.e. number of piglets per sow) of SWAP (1.2 ± 0.3) was higher than those of JLF15 (0.6 ± 0.2) and farrowing crates (0.3 ± 0.1), and crushing rate of JLF15 was higher than that of farrowing crates. The autumn batch showed the lowest crushing rate amongst different batches. Number of crushing incidents was similar when sows in farrowing pens with temporary crating were crated or loose. The percentage of occasions when sows used a support from the pen when changing posture but still crushed the piglets was higher in farrowing crates than in farrowing pens with temporary crating. No difference in growth and foreleg abrasion in piglets was found between systems. Cortisol in SWAP peaked on day 2, and CgA in JLF15 peaked on day 4 and remained elevated on day 12. Cortisol and CgA in farrowing crates remained similar during lactation.
Conclusion: Our results suggested that farrowing pens with temporary crating facilitated mother-young interactions; farrowing pens with temporary crating showed a higher crushing rate; sows changed their posture differently between systems and batches; the practice of temporary crating did not alter the level of stress biomarkers in sows.
Ko H, Temple D, Hales J, Manteca X, Llonch P. Welfare and performance of sows and piglets in farrowing pens with temporary crating system on a Spanish commercial farm. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2022; 246: 105527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105527.