Reproductive performance of pregnant sows kept under different confinement system and diets

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at the Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Suínos e Aves (Swine & Poultry National Research Center) at Concórdia, SC, Brazil. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the reproductive performance of sows individualy confined and in semi-confined lot under different alimentary diets (1.4; 1.6; 1.8 and 2 kg of ration per day) during gestation. The groups confined in stalls consisted of 112 Large White gilts, 64 kept in pens and 48 with chance for outdoor exercise. All of them were fed through individual feeders. With the increasing of feed consumption during pregnancy, an increasing of weight gain (P<0.05) of the sows was observed, as well as a greater weight loss during lactation. No differences were observed among treatments regarding to the number of pigs born alive and stillborn. Litters from sows kept under 1.8 and 2 kg of ration per day showed higher weights at birth (P<0,05) and at 21 days than those kept under 1.4 and 1.6 kg per day of feed. The low feeding level resulted in litters at weaning whose weight was lower than those from high feeding levels. The semi-confined lot system was the most efficient related to the performance of the sows. The best economic results were the feeding levels of 1.8 kg per day and 2 kg per day for individual confinement and semi-confined lot respectively.