title: Effects of sow-crate design on sow and piglet behavior.
abstract: The effects of sow-crate design on certain behaviors of sows and piglets at farrowing and again approximately 3 wk later were evaluated with a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial arrangement of crate width (narrow [N = 55 cm] or wide [W = 64] between lowest horizontal pipes), length (short [S = 183 cm] or long [L = 198] from rump stop to front gate) and side type (lower side of sow crate "fingered" [F], "bowed" bottom bar 20 cm above the floor [B], or straight bottom bar 20 cm [S20] or 25 cm above the floor [S25]). Farrowing-crate design influenced both sow and piglet behaviors both during and immediately after parturition and during nursing-suckling bouts approximately 3 wk later. Activities of 51 sows and their piglets were videorecorded during and immediately following parturition. Sow-crate design affected neither the interval between births of successive piglets in a litter nor the frequency of standing by the sow during parturition. Latency from birth to first mammary contact (LMC) was greater with S25-sided and S sow crates, and especially with S, W crates. A significant interaction occurred between sow-crate side type and dimensions; LMC was longer when S25 sides were combined with S or W crates. Data on suckling behavior were collected from 113 litters over three successive sucklings approximately 3 wk after farrowing. Sow-crate design had no effect either on the consistency with which a piglet suckled a particular teat or teat pair or on the frequency of multiple-teat use. Piglets maintained fewer functional teats with S, S20 crates. The distribution of functional teats between rows was less symmetric with S crates. Piglets nursed with their bodies over a side bar more frequently with B- and S20-sided crates. The sow permitted her piglets to suckle while she was in a vertical stance more frequently with S and N crates, and especially with S, N crates. Sow-crate design affected important behaviors of sows and piglets both during and immediately after parturition as well as during nursing-suckling bouts about 3 wk later.
authors.affiliation: Anim. Sci. Dept., University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rohde Parfet
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Gonyou
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Muehling
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*