Recurrence patterns and lifetime performance of parity 1 sows in breeding herds with different weaning-to-first-mating intervals

• Published in: Porcine Health Management. Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Yatabe, Yu, Iida, Ryosuke, Piñeiro, Carlos, Koketsu, Yuzo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 28.06.2019; BMC
• Subjects: Animal lactation; Animal reproduction; Cattle; Cohort analysis; Cohort study; Farm management; Hogs; Lifetime performance; Primiparous sows; Reproductive system; Swine; Weaning; Weaning-to-first-service interval; Spain; Lifetime performance; Weaning-to-first-service interval; Farm management; Swine; Cohort study; Primiparous sows
• DOI: 10.1186/s40813-019-0122-0
• ISSN: 2055-5660

Our objectives were 1) to compare reproductive performance across parities and lifetime performance of parity 1 sows in six weaning-to-first-mating interval groups (WMI 0-3, 4, 5, 6, 7-20 and 21 days or more), 2) to determine the recurrence patterns and repeatability of WMI, and 3) to quantify factors associated with the probability of parity 1 sows having WMI 4 days. Examined data comprised 691,276 parity and 144,052 lifetime records of sows in 155 Spanish herds, served between 2011 and 2016. Mixed-effects models were applied to the data. Variance components analysis determined WMI repeatability. Proportions of parity 1 sows with WMI 0-3, 4, 5, 6, 7-20 and 21 days or more were 4.1, 30.0, 38.4, 7.9, 12.7 and 6.9%, respectively. Of the parity 1 sows with WMI 0-4 days, 43.3-60.5% had WMI 4 days in later parities, whereas 33.9-48.9% of those with WMI ≥5 days had WMI 5 days; WMI repeatability was 0.11. Parity 1 sows with WMI 4 or 5 days had 0.3-2.1 days shorter WMI in later parities than those with WMI ≥7 days (  <  0.05). Parity 1 sows with WMI 4 or 5 days also had 0.6-2.1 more annualized lifetime piglets born alive than those with WMI ≥7 days (  <  0.05). Notably, parity 1 sows with WMI 4 days had 0.3 more annualized lifetime piglets born alive than those with WMI 5 days (  <  0.05). The WMI in parity 1 could be a useful predictor for subsequent reproductive performance and lifetime performance of sows.