Abstract:

Effects of lactation length on weaning-to-first-service interval, first-service farrowing rate, and subsequent litter size

John W. Mabry, PhD; Matt S. Culbertson, MS; David Reeves, DVM

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Purpose: To analyze the relationship between lactation length and weaning-to-first-service interval, first-service farrowing rate, and subsequent litter size.

Methods: A total of 178,519 litter records from crossbred and purebred sows from 13 commercial herds were analyzed from the PigCHAMP(R) recordkeeping system.

Results: It appears that parity-three and older sows have the ability to be weaned at lactation lengths as short as 9 days and still retain the ability to recycle in an average of 7 days or less with a subsequent first-service farrowing rate in excess of 70%. Parity-two sows can be weaned at as low as 12 days of lactation and still recycle in an average of 7 days or less. However, parity-one sows weaned below 14 days of lactation required 10 days or more to recycle on average.

Implications: This extended weaning-to-first-service interval in first-parity females was significant when compared to more mature females. In addition, subsequent litter size did not appear to be highly influenced by lactation length.

Keywords: lactation length, weaning-to-first-service interval, first-service farrowing rate, litter size


RIS citationCite as: Mabry JW, Culbertson MS, Reeves D. Effects of lactation length on weaning-to-first-service interval, first-service farrowing rate, and subsequent litter size. J Swine Health Prod 1996;4(4):185-188.

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