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Conference paper2012Peer reviewed

Variation in sow and piglet performance in organic production : Influences of herd and sire breed

Wallenbeck, Anna; Thorell, Karolina; Alarik, Maria

Abstract

The present study aims to assess the influence of herd and sire breed on variation in gestation length, number of piglets born alive and number of piglets stillborn. 79 Yorkshire x Landrace sows in three organic herds were inseminated with semen from either Hampshire or Duroc sires with known identity. In all herds, 50 % of the sows were inseminated with Hampshire sires and 50 % with Duroc sires. The results indicate that the gestation length of sows inseminated with Duroc boars are on average two day longer than for sows inseminated with Hampshire boars. The delay in the onset of the farrowing may partly be explained by less mature foetuses/piglets. The total number of piglets born was on average lower in litters with Hampshire sire. The results of the preliminary analyses indicate important effects of sire breed on sow and piglet performance in organic herds.

Keywords

sire, breed, swine, litter size, gestation length

Published in

Landbauforschung. Sonderheft
2012, Volume: 362, number: 362, pages: 295-297 ISBN: 978-3-86576-094-4
Publisher: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut

Conference

2nd IFOAM/ISOFAR International Conference on Organic Animal Husbandry "Tackling the Future Challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry"