ChileanJAR

The use of the farrowing crate was compared with the conventional farrowing pen during summer. Twenty-threemature sows and gilts were confined two days prior to farrowing date to each system and moved out to common nursery from day 15 after birth until weaning at 45 days. Results indicated that losses/litter amounted 0.1919 pigs (10.2%) in the farrowing erate and 1.43 pigs (13.5%) in the conventional pen, corresponding to 0.21 vs. 0.82 pigs lost by crushing/litter and to 0.78 vs. 0.61 lost due to other causes respectively. Of total losses, 60.8 and 69.6% occured during the first week after birth in both systems respectively; higher losses occured in the conventional pen the first day after farrowing. Number and cause of baby pig deaths was similar for gilts and sows in the conventional peno Gilts in the farrowing crate highly (P < 0.01) reduced crushing (0.9 vs. 8.0%) and less markedly losses due to other causes (5.6 vs. 6.0%) meanwhile sows in the farrowing crate although reduced (P < 0.01) crushing (3.3 vs. 7.6%) increased deaths due to other causes (10.1 vs. 5.5%) attaining similar total losses to those obtained with sows in the farrowing pen (13.5%). Weight gain and feed intake of sows and their litters was not affected by the use of the farrowing crate It is concluded that:
- The use of farrowing crate allows a reduction of losses due to crushing in gilts and sows: however, the larger losses due to other causes with sows indicates that the use of the farrowing crate benefits gilts almost exclusively;
- In both systems, roughly 50% of losses are. produced the first 3 days after birth and largely due to crushing in the conventional pen and to other causes in the farrowing crate.