Effects of forced exercise during gestation on farrowing and weaning performance of swine

Forty-three gilts and 24 sows were tethered throughout gestation, and one-half were forced to walk on a treadmill 15 min daily 5 days a week. Exercised and nonexercised dams farrowed 10.0 and 10.2 pigs (P greater than .05) and weaned 8.1 and 7.9 (P greater than .05), respectively. Birth weight of pigs born alive from exercised and nonexercised dams averaged 1.6 and 1.5 kg (P greater than .05); weaning weights were 8.5 and 8.2 kg (P greater than .05), respectively. Sows farrowed 12% more pigs (P less than .05) than gilts and weaned 17% more pigs (P less than .05) that were 12% heavier at birth (P less than .01) than those of gilts. Forced exercise did not improve (P greater than .05) reproductive performance as measured by numbers of pigs farrowed and weaned or by birth and weaning weights. Mean length of gestation was not significantly affected by age of dam or exercise treatment. The interval between birth of first and birth of last pig per litter averaged 154 and 151 min (P greater than .05) for exercised gilts and sows, respectively, and 170 and 161 min (P greater than .05) for those not exercised.