THE EFFECT OF THE SYSTEMS OF HOUSING OF SOWS DURING PARTURITION AND LACTATION ON THEIR PERFORMANCE

In a specialized large-scale pig farm, two groups of farrowing and lactating sows (Large White X Landrace) were studied in different systems of housing 10 days before parturition and then until weaning (35 days). The sows of the first group were kept in elevated pens in which the piglets had escape spaces of wire netting, coated with bralen (soft plastic). The sows of the other group were kept in pens with strawless flat lying area. The number of piglets reared until an age of 21 days per one litter was higher by 0.95 in group 1, compared with group 2. The difference was statistically significant at P less-than-or-equal-to 0.01. In the first group the preweaning mortality was lower (10.73 % vs. 22.30 %) and the average weight at weaning was statistically higher (by 0.45 kg). The elevated pens with a 3% slope to the slatted dunging area proved to be advantageous. The general hygiene in the pens was good.