An assessment of reproductive and lifetime performances of Kagoshima Berkshire gilts and sows. (10th November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sasaki, Yosuke; Tokunaga, Tadaaki; Uemura, Ryoko; Sueyoshi, Masuo
• Is Part Of: Animal science journal. Volume 85:Number 3(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 213
• Page End: 218
• Publication Date: 2013-11-10
• Subjects: Animal culture -- Periodicals; Livestock -- Periodicals; 636
• DOI: 10.1111/asj.12140
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1344-3941

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>We investigated the reproductive and lifetime performances of Kagoshima Berkshire gilts and sows. We examined 20 605 parity records of 4419 pigs for 2008 to 2012 on a farrow‐to‐finish commercial farm. The mean parity (± SD) of all animals was 3.0 ± 2.1. For farrowing performance, the highest numbers of total pigs born and pigs born alive were found in sows with parities 5 and 6 and with parity 3–6, respectively (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Regarding weaning and mating performance, sows with parity 2 had the lowest preweaning mortality (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The longest weaning‐to‐first‐mating interval was found in parity 1 pigs, and the interval decreased as parity increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Parities 0 and 1 pigs had the lowest farrowing rate and those with parity 4 had the highest farrowing rate (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The mean parity at culling, total number of pigs born alive in a lifetime, and nonproductive days in a lifetime were 5.5 ± 2.93, 49.2 ± 24.72 pigs, and 132.1 ± 83.34 days, respectively. These animals had a lower litter size and fertility that the F₁ crossbred sows mainly used in Japan, but a similar tendency for performance by parity.</p> </abstract>