Primiparous sow behaviour on the day of farrowing as one of the primary contributors to the growth of piglets in early lactation.

ABSTRACT: Large White and Meishan sows differ in maternal ability and early piglet growth. We investigated the relationships between 100 maternal traits, grouped into 11 blocks according to the biological function they describe and litter growth over three successive periods after birth (D0-D1, D1-D3 and D3-D7; D0 starting at the onset of farrowing), as a measure of sow investment in early piglet production. Within- and between-breed variation was exploited to cover a maximum of the variability existing in pig maternal populations. The objective was to quantify the contribution of maternal traits, including functional traits and behavioural traits, to early litter growth. Multivariate analyses were used to depict correlations among traits. A partial least square multiblock analysis allowed quantifyi

SUBMITTER: Girardie O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11310322 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature