Maternal behaviour in pigs and its relation to piglet performance and survival
Piglet survival is of importance because it affects the farmer?s economy and the welfare of the pigs. There are several factors affecting piglet survival and they are often linked to each other. This paper will focus on how the behaviour of the sow can affect the growth and survival of the piglets and also possible causations of differences in maternal behaviour. Sows in intensive production systems have different possibilities to express their maternal behaviour than free ranging sows. They often live in small pens or crates, have fewer choices because of the restricted environment and are depended on human provided resources. One of the major problems in piglet production is that piglets are crushed by the sow and then dies from traumatic injury or suffocation. Sow behaviour when she lies down or when she has a piglet under her body affects the mortality and the risk of injures on piglets. Also, sow behaviour during farrowing can affect piglet survival in a positive or negative way. There are differences in nursing patterns between sows. The variation in maternal behaviour between sows can therefore be of interest, in order to find a way to reduce piglet mortality and increase growth.