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Preweaning piglet mortality in relation to placental efficiency
B T T M van Rens1, G de Koning, R Bergsma
1Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Wageningen University, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands. birgitte.vanrens@wur.nl <birgitte.vanrens@wur.nl>
Journal of Animal Science
|December 8, 2004
Summary
Birth weight (BWB) is the best predictor of preweaning piglet mortality, outperforming placental efficiency (PLEFF) and placental weight (PLW). While PLEFF is complex, BWB offers a simpler, more reliable measure for assessing neonatal piglet survival risks.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Reproductive Biology
- Neonatal Physiology
Background:
- Placental efficiency (PLEFF), calculated as birth weight (BWB) to placental weight (PLW) ratio, is studied for its link to neonatal piglet vitality.
- Understanding factors influencing piglet survival is crucial for swine production efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if PLEFF is a superior predictor of preweaning piglet mortality compared to BWB and PLW.
- To analyze the influence of parity (gilt vs. sow) on the relationships between BWB, PLW, and PLEFF.
- To investigate the complex interplay between placental traits and neonatal survival in pigs.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 1,036 live-born piglets across 118 litters.
- Statistical examination of relationships between BWB, PLW, and PLEFF, considering parity.
- Comparative analysis of the predictive power of BWB, PLW, and PLEFF for preweaning mortality risk.
Main Results:
- Relationships between BWB, PLW, and PLEFF varied between gilts and sows, primarily due to a subset of piglets with very large placentas in sows.
- While BWB and PLW were significant negative predictors of preweaning mortality, PLEFF showed only a tendency towards negative association (P=0.08).
- Birth weight (BWB) demonstrated a more substantial impact on the effect of placental traits on preweaning mortality than placental weight (PLW).
Conclusions:
- Placental efficiency (PLEFF) in swine is a complex trait influenced by both placental weight (PLW) and birth weight (BWB), with PLW having a greater impact on PLEFF.
- The predictive value of PLEFF for piglet mortality is less straightforward than initially assumed due to its mathematical derivation and dependency on PLW.
- Birth weight (BWB) remains the most reliable and easily measurable predictor of preweaning piglet mortality in swine, surpassing PLW and PLEFF.