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The effects of outdoor farrowing hut type on prewean piglet mortality in Iowa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

M.S. Honeyman  and
W.B. Roush
M.S. Honeyman*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, and Coordinator of Research and Demonstration Farms, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
W.B. Roush
Affiliation:
Western Research Farm, Castana, IA 51010
*
M.S. Honeyman (honeyman@iastate.edu).
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Abstract

Outdoor pig production, usually gestation, farrowing and lactation, is an alternative swine production system that is increasing in popularity. The outdoor farrowing hut is the principal modifier of the environment for the sow and litter, as well as the primary structure to reduce prewean mortality. Prewean mortality of piglets is a major problem for both indoor and outdoor swine herds. Five types of floorless individual farrowing huts were evaluated over 4 years, during the month of September in Iowa. A total of 206 litters by primiparous crossbred sows were farrowed. Piglet deaths for the first 14 days after farrowing were recorded. Hut type had an effect on piglet prewean mortality (P < 0.10). The arc-style hut and the blunt-top A hut had only about one-third as many litters with piglet mortalities and a lower prewean mortality percentage (3.8 versus 8.5%) than an inverted U hut. This difference would be approximately a half pig/litter increase in litter size at weaning. The superior huts each had a distinct and ample sow area and safe pig areas. The safe pig areas were made by a sloping or curved roofline that came to the ground (the arc-style hut) or with guard rails (the blunt-top A hut). Overall prewean mortality for the study was low (6.0%). Crushing of piglets accounted for 93% of the prewean mortality. The study shows that outdoor farrowing systems can achieve competitiveness with low piglet mortality particularly if superior huts are used. Selection of the outdoor farrowing hut is a critical decision in planning outdoor swine farrowing systems.

Keywords

outdoor farrowingpigsprewean mortalityswine housingswine production
Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 2002 , pp. 92 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002

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