Piglet uniformity and mortality in large organic litters: Effects of parity and pre-mating diet composition

Abstract In large organic litters, relationships between piglet birth weight, piglet uniformity and pre-weaning piglet mortality were studied. Furthermore, effects of parity and insulin-stimulating diets during the pre-mating period on piglet birth weight, uniformity, and mortality were investigated. Organically kept sows (n = 137 sow cycles) were fed a control diet during lactation and weaning-to-insemination interval (CON), or an insulin-stimulating diet (sucrose plus lactose, both 150 g/d) during only the weaning-to-insemination interval (WII) or during the last two weeks of a 41 ± 4 d lactation and the weaning-to-insemination interval (LAC + WII). Piglets (live born and stillborn) were weighed individually within 24 h after birth. Cross-fostering was allowed within treatments within the first 3 d after birth. Litter size was higher for parities 3 and 4 sows compared with older sows, whereas parity 2 sows had an intermediate litter size (the number of total born piglets was 17.0, 18.8 and 16.3 for sows of parities 2, 3 + 4 and ≥ 5, respectively; P

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