Effects of different gestation housing types on reproductive performance of sows

This study evaluated the effects of different gestation housing types on reproductive performance of sows. A total of 60 sows (218 +/- 24kg body weight) with mixed parity were used. During gestation, 28 sows were housed in groups with electronic sow feeders (space allowance=1.26m(2)/sow) and 32 sows were housed in individual stalls (space allowance=1.20m(2)/sow). Sows from both housing types were moved to farrowing crates on day 109 of gestation and stayed until weaning (18days post-farrowing). Typical corn-soybean meal diets were provided to sows during gestation and lactation. Measurements were reproductive performance of sows at farrowing as well as performance of sows and their litter during lactation. Similar total numbers of piglets born at farrowing were observed for sows gestated in both housing types. However, group-housed gestation sows had more mummies (0.321 vs. 0.064; P<0.05) and stillbirths (0.893 vs. 0.469; P=0.073) at farrowing than individual-housed gestation sows. Consequently, individual-housing type had higher percentage of piglets born alive (95.5 vs. 90.4%; P<0.05) than the group-housing type. Therefore, improved reproductive performance of sows from individual gestating housing was confirmed in this study.