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Agriculture
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Improvements of Reproduction and Growth Performance in Pig Farming
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Improvements of Reproduction and Growth Performance in Pig Farming

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Farm Animal Production".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 September 2024) | Viewed by 8462

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pavel Nevrkla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Breeding, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: pig rearing technologies; pig breeding and nutrition; reproduction of sows; pig performance; welfare of pigs; meat quality
Dr. Eva Weisbauerova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pig Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhrineves, Kostelec nad Orlici, Komenskeho 1239, 517 41 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: fatty acids; pig breeding; pig nutrition; meat quality; feed technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pig breeding is going through some challenges associated with intensive production, which is related to the production of feedstuff and issues of pig welfare or health, both in terms of sow breeding and pig fattening. Human work is continuing to decrease, while various minimalizing technologies and robotization are being applied. At the same time, in many countries local pig breeds are entering the field of pork production, reaching satisfying productive parameters with the potential to supplement the demand for pork meat. It needs to be emphasized that the global consumption and popularity of pork are high, which enhances the demands on the reproductive potential of sows and, at the same time, on the growth of pigs, while maintaining low feed consumption. Reproductive as well as productive performance are closely related to the genetic foundations of pigs, hybridization, housing systems, and varying feeding strategies.

This Special Issue is focused on factors that affect the reproductive and productive performances of pigs, including meat quality, such as productive strategies of farms in both conventional and organic production, the application of innovative feeding strategies, housing systems respecting the welfare of pigs, and the utilization of various breeds as well as hybrids, in a broad context, providing knowledge from different countries.

Dr. Pavel Nevrkla
Dr. Eva Weisbauerova
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pig
  • growth of pigs
  • reproduction of sows
  • meat quality
  • sustainability
  • housing
  • feeding
  • innovation
  • pig hybridization
  • local production

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 975 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Different Farrowing Housing Systems on the Reproductive Performance of Sows and the Losses and Growth of Piglets
by Pavel Nevrkla, Jan Sečkář, Eva Weisbauerová, Pavel Horký, Drahomíra Čtvrtlíková Knitlová, Alena Lustyková, Zdeněk Hadaš and Miroslav Rozkot
Agriculture 2024, 14(7), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14071084 - 5 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1460
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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 < 0.05). Its effect was 0.35 days shorter in the sows in the free-farrowing system than in the cage technology and 0.6 days shorter than in the temporary fixation. Housing also influenced the onset of post-weaning oestrus (p < 0.01), which occurred 0.31 days earlier in the sows in a free-farrowing system and in those in pens with temporary fixation. A significant effect of housing on the overall losses of piglets (p < 0.05) was also found. The crushing of piglets by sows was also significantly affected by the housing system (p < 0.05), with the highest incidence found in the free-farrowing system. The effect of the housing system on the individual weaning weight of piglets was also found to be significant (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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improvements of Reproduction and Growth Performance in Pig Farming)
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13 pages, 586 KiB  
Article
Hourly Feeding Regime of Modern Genetics Lactating Sows: Enhancing Productive Performance, Welfare, and Piglet Growth in Smart Farm-Based Systems
by Keiven Mark B. Ampode, Hong-Seok Mun, Eddiemar B. Lagua, Veasna Chem, Hae-Rang Park, Young-Hwa Kim, Md Sharifuzzaman, Md Kamrul Hasan and Chul-Ju Yang
Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050740 - 9 May 2024
Viewed by 2324
Abstract
Effective management of lactating sows significantly influences various aspects of swine production. This study compared the impact of an hourly feeding regime and a five-times-daily feeding regime on the productive performance, body condition, and welfare of lactating sows, as well as on the [...] Read more.
Effective management of lactating sows significantly influences various aspects of swine production. This study compared the impact of an hourly feeding regime and a five-times-daily feeding regime on the productive performance, body condition, and welfare of lactating sows, as well as on the growth performance of their offspring. Twenty-eight lactating sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were divided into two groups: Group 1 was fed five times a day, and Group 2 was fed according to an hourly regime. The data were analyzed using independent-samples T-tests and the Mann–Whitney U test using Statistical Analysis System (SAS, 2011, Version 9.3) software. An hourly feeding regime positively affected (p < 0.05) sows’ feed intake and body condition, significantly reducing the days from the weaning-to-estrus interval. Group 1 exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) reductions in backfat thickness (BFT) and body condition score (BCS) during the weaning period compared to Group 2. Additionally, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in regard to sow body weight loss, feed intake, piglet livability and mortality rate at weaning, sow index, and calculated milk yield. Feeding sows according to an hourly regime positively impacted their productive performance compared to those fed five times daily. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were recorded in regard to the total number of piglets born, live births, mummified piglets, stillbirths, piglet mortality, litter size at weaning, and sow feed conversion ratio (FCR). However, the number of piglets weaned per sow per year (PSY) was numerically higher in Group 2 (p > 0.05). The piglets from Group 2 had significantly higher (p < 0.05) weaning weights and exhibited lower feed intake, greater weight gain, improved average daily gain, and greater litter size weight gain than those from Group 1. Statistically, sows from Group 2 exhibited a higher frequency of standing (p < 0.05), which potentially contributed to the reduction in shoulder skin lesions in sows (p > 0.05). In conclusion, an hourly feeding regime could optimize sow productive performance, body condition, milk yield, welfare, and piglet growth in swine production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improvements of Reproduction and Growth Performance in Pig Farming)
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13 pages, 419 KiB  
Article
Backfat Thickness at Pre-Farrowing: Indicators of Sow Reproductive Performance, Milk Yield, and Piglet Birth Weight in Smart Farm-Based Systems
by Hong-Seok Mun, Keiven Mark B. Ampode, Eddiemar B. Lagua, Veasna Chem, Hae-Rang Park, Young-Hwa Kim, Md Sharifuzzaman, Md Kamrul Hasan and Chul-Ju Yang
Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010024 - 22 Dec 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4076
Abstract
The importance of backfat thickness in sows lies in its correlation with nutritional status, reproductive performance, and overall health. Identifying the optimum backfat thickness is crucial for determining the ideal energy reserves needed to support successful reproduction and lactation. This research aimed to [...] Read more.
The importance of backfat thickness in sows lies in its correlation with nutritional status, reproductive performance, and overall health. Identifying the optimum backfat thickness is crucial for determining the ideal energy reserves needed to support successful reproduction and lactation. This research aimed to determine optimal backfat thickness (BFT) of sows in relation to reproductive and lactation performance. In this study, 32 lactating sows were housed in a controlled environment and assigned to four groups based on their BFT before farrowing: <17.00 mm, 17.00–17.99 mm, 18.00–18.99 mm, and ≥19.00 mm. The data were analyzed with One-way analysis of variance, and the association between backfat thickness and sow reproductive performance was examined through Spearman’s correlation analysis using SAS software. The results revealed no significant difference between the groups in total born, total born alive, and litter size weaned, but the piglets’ survival rate during the lactation period is lower from sows with BFT < 17.00. Moreover, piglet birth weight and body weight at Day 3 were significantly lower in sows with BFT < 17.00 mm. The BFT of sows at weaning showed significant differences among the groups associated with the backfat thickness before farrowing. No significant difference was found in the duration of farrowing. The return-to-estrus interval was longer in sows with <17.00 mm BFT than in those with 17.00–17.99 mm, 18.00–18.99 mm, and ≥19.00 mm backfat thickness, with estrus intervals of 7.17, 6.25, 5.31, and 5 days after weaning, respectively. Numerically, calculated milk yield (MY) is lowest in sows with BFT < 17.00, and the highest MY was obtained from sows with BFT 18.00–18.99 mm. In conclusion, sows with at least 17.00 mm BFT before farrowing are ideal for increasing the lifetime productivity of sows. This study provides valuable insights into the importance of sow management during gestation for subsequent reproductive success. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Improvements of Reproduction and Growth Performance in Pig Farming)
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