Table 1.

The effect of foster sow parity (primiparous, second or mid parity sow [parities 3 to 5]) and piglet preferred teat pair class on performance from birth to 10 wk of age¹

Foster sow parity class	Primiparous			Second			Mid				Significance2
Teat position	Anterior	Middle	Posterior	Anterior	Middle	Posterior	Anterior	Middle	Posterior	SED	Teat pair class	Birth weight × Teat pair class	Foster parity × Teat pair class
Number of piglets
Day 28	44	88	28	45	77	23	48	87	26
Day 68	43	87	28	43	77	23	47	87	26
BW, kg
Day 0	1.36	1.39	1.34	1.41	1.38	1.37	1.41	1.39	1.37	0.012	0.323	0.111	0.467
Day 28	7.69A	7.51	6.92B	8.50a	7.73b	7.54b	8.90a	8.03b	7.70b	0.113	<0.001	0.783	0.089
Day 34	9.27	8.96	8.40	9.64	9.03	8.85	10.3	9.56	9.29	0.123	<0.001	0.625	0.644
Day 68	30.3	29.8	28.6	30.3	29.5	30.1	32.1	30.9	30.8	0.331	0.032	0.684	0.507
ADG, g/d
Day 0 to 28	222	215	196	248	224	217	260	231	220	3.70	<0.001	0.813	0.122
Day 28 to 34	263	243	244	191	216	218	234	255	265	12.4	0.566	0.657	0.270
Day 28 to 68	579	572	555	560	559	579	594	586	593	7.38	0.774	0.719	0.538

Within foster parity estimates within row with different superscripts either differ significantly (a,b P < 0.05) or tended to differ (A,B P < 0.10).

¹Teat pair class was classified according to anatomical location of the teats (i.e., anterior [teat pairs 1 to 2], middle [teat pairs 3 to 5], or posterior [teat pair ≥6]) and was assessed at day 12. Pigs were cross fostered within 12 to 24 h after birth (day 0), creep feed was provided from 10 d to weaning (day 28.6, SD = 0.46) and piglets remained in the same litter until ~10 wk of age (day 67.6, SD = 0.46). Individual pigs were weighed at birth (within 12 h after birth), day 28, 1 wk postweaning and at 10 wk of age.

²In addition to the significant effect shown here, birth weight class affected (P < 0.05) all performance parameters. Also foster parity class significantly (P < 0.05) affected BW at days 28, 34, and 68.