Post-Farrowing Health Status of Sows and Piglets is Correlated with Lactation Outcomes of Sows

Abstract

The genetic (rg) and phenotypic (rp) correlations between piglet vitality at birth, traits measured on sows 2 and 5 days post-farrowing and lactation outcomes were estimated using the data from 2 nucleus farms (N=1103). All observations were analysed as traits of the sow. The highest heritabilities (h2) were estimated for functional and un-suckled teats (0.36±0.09 and 0.24±0.09) and for the number of vital piglets (0.09±0.07). Detrimental piglet attributes were genetically and phenotypically associated with each other and with a lower number of weaned piglets. High respiration rate and rectal temperature were genetically (0.81±0.31 and 0.73±0.30), but not phenotypically, associated with the number of weaned piglets. Correlations between other traits were not significantly different from zero, or had high standard errors and therefore required more data for more accurate estimation of variance components.