Body condition evaluation in sows

In the porcine species the 'thin sow syndrome', the 'fat sow syndrome' and the 'second parity syndrome' have been related to problems with the regulation and dynamics of body condition. There is, therefore, a need to adequately monitor body condition. In a first study, a new body condition monitoring technique was developed. Several body measurements of sows were related, by multiple regression, to an indirect representation of body composition based on principal components derived from live weight and backfat measurements. In a second study, the reliability of this new technique was also determined and compared to that of a more traditional scoring system based on visual appraisal and palpation. Five observers independently evaluated thirty sows three times using the two techniques. Both techniques were found to be similarly repeatable. The new technique, however, was found to have higher reproducibility. It is concluded that body condition is better represented by the use of principal components and that they can be predicted from body morphology under field conditions.