AHEAD IN ANIMAL HEALTH
A practical tool to asses time of death of piglets during gestation and parturition Karlijn Eenink, Manon Houben, Karin Junker Royal GD, Deventer, The Netherlands
Background & Objectives Piglet survival is an important welfare issue and can be improved by reducing the number of stillborn piglets. There are many potential causes of stillbirth and at least as many methods of intervention. To prioritize possible interventions to improve piglet survival it is important to determine, at individual farm level, in which phases of gestation and/or parturition piglets die. Royal GD developed a practical tool to help veterinarians to identify these phases. Material and objectives
Results
• Twenty-one sow farms submitted all stillborn piglets and mummified foetuses of a farrowing batch. • In total 1091 piglets, on average 48 (± 28) piglets per farm were included. • At the laboratory every individual piglet or mummy was scored on mummification, size, weight and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). • Via necropsy the piglets organs were assessed, based on colour and development. • Based on the assessment, estimated time of death of every piglet was classified into one of the following four phases during gestation and parturition: 1) before the last week of gestation; 2) last week of gestation; 3) during parturition; 4) born alive.
• Overall, 84% of piglets were classified as stillborn piglets and 16% (min: 0% - max: 51%) as mummified foetuses. • Average weight of the stillborn piglets was 1061 (±353) grams. • 6.6% of the piglets showed signs of IUGR. Signs of IUGR occur more frequently in piglets with a lower bodyweight. • Of all piglets: - 6% was classified in phase 1; - 4% in phase 2; - 85% in phase 3 and - 5% in phase 4.
• The average percentage of piglets per farm weighing under 800 grams was 28% (min: 2% - max: 68%).
Discussion and conclusion The variation between results of individual farms is large; this can be explained by the different underlying causes of stillbirth and/or mummification. For example, disease, feed, genetics or management factors. Although veterinarians and farmers find the tool helpful in their daily practice, more research is needed to confirm the relation between the cause of stillbirth in piglets and the results in the tool.
Fig. 1 Processing the piglets in the necropsy room
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Weight in grams Fig. 2 Bodyweight of stillborn piglets (n=922 ), differentiated between normally developed and IUGR piglets
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Fig. 3 S tillborn piglets classified per phase, based on time of death (%)
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Fig 4. M ean bodyweight (grams) of stillborn piglets, normally developed piglets (n=861) and IUGR piglets (n=61)
k.eenink@gdanimalhealth.com www.gdanimalhealth.com
GD2573/04-22