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. 1989 Mar 1;30(1):9–17. doi: 10.1186/BF03548063

A Long Term Study on the Health Status and Performance of Sows on Different Feed Allowances during Late Pregnancy

I. Clinical observations, with special reference to agalactia post partum

Arne Persson 1,✉, Anne Eide Pedersen 1, Leif Göransson 1, Wladyslaw Kuhl 1
PMCID: PMC8142194  PMID: 2782237

Abstract

Thirty nine pairs of full sibs were investigated over 6 parities in a long term study on the effects of late pregnancy feed allowance on the occurrence of agalactia post partum and on the performance of sows and piglets. A careful examination of all sows with a rectal temperature exceeding 39.5°C was performed by a veterinarian within the first 48 h after farrowing. Milk-samples were taken from sows with elevated rectal temperatures and showing clinical symptoms of agalactia. During the last 15 days of gestation the sows in the control group were fed 3.4 kg daily and the sows in the experimental group 1.0 kg daily of a commercial type of diet. In 26.6 % of the farrowings in the control group the sows were agalactic whereas the corresponding figure in the experimental group was 14.4%.

On clinical examination udder changes were observed in a majority of the diseased sows in both groups. However, the agalactic sows in the control group were generally more affected, with lower water and feed consumption than in the experimental group. No effects of age of the sow (parity number) or length of the gestation period on the incidence of agalactia were demonstrated. The rectal temperature of agalactic sows was significantly higher than in the healthy sows already 1 day before farrowing. The agalactic sows farrowed a larger number of stillborn piglets, which indicates an early establishment of the disease. The number of weaned piglets at 6 weeks did not differ between agalactic and healthy animals. The interval from weaning to first oestrus was not influenced by agalactia in the preceding lactation.

Keywords: Agalactia post partum, late pregnancy feeding, clinical signs, parity number, length of gestation period, litter size, oestrus interval, causes for culling

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agriculture Research and from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Professor Stig Einarsson and Professor Ingmar Månsson are gratefully thanked for valuable discussions. The authors are indebted to Miss Catharina Falkenberg for excellent technical assistance, Dr. Brian Ogle for valuable comments on the manuscript and Miss Carina Bohlin for skillful typing of the manuscript.

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