Browsing by Author "Jääskeläinen, Terhi"

The aim of this study was to investigate connections between on-farm assessed welfare scores and production parameters of sows. Welfare was assessed using a Finnish on-farm assessment system, the A-index. Two different kinds of production data were used, both originating from the national herd surveillance database. Welfare assessments were done on 30 commercial piglet, gilt producing and integrated farms during March 2007. One trained person did the scoring on all the farms visited. The A-index comprises of six categories: ‘locomotion’, ‘social interaction’, ‘floor quality’, ‘stable climate’, ‘feeding’ and ‘health and stockmanship’. Each category has 3-10 mostly environmental-based parameters that differ between different unit types. The maximum total score for a unit is 100. Scoring was performed separately in the farrowing, breeding and gestation sow units. The small number of independent breeding units (n=7) led to a combination of the breeding and gestation unit scores for dry sow unit; the averages are used for statistical analysis. Two production data used were 1) Farm record data (n=29), which is a basic data including farm and production parameters from the year preceding the on-farm assessment visit, 2) POTSI-data (n=30), where the production data are modified with the POTSI-application (MTT) so that the impact of management group (farm, year and season) can be seen. Connections were studied with correlation and regression analyses. Although participation was voluntary in terms of production data systems the experiment farms represented the average Finnish farm. Total A-index points varied between 37,5-64,0 for lactating and between 39,5-83,5 for dry sows. Concerning the Farm record data the better A-index scores from ‘health and stockmanship’ category during lactation period shortened the reproduction cycle, decreased the percentage of stillborn piglets and increased the number of litters and piglets per sow per year. Regression models gave significant explanation value to ‘health and stockmanship’, when variation in the number of piglets per year, the length of farrowing interval and the number of farrowings before culling was explained. Better locomotion opportunities in dry sow unit had negative impact on the number of piglets born and weaned per year. Regression model gave significant explanation value to ‘locomotion’ and to percentage of first litters when variation in the number of weaned piglets was explained. With POTSI-data lower number of stillborn piglets was related with better ‘social interaction’ scores with gilts in farrowing unit and better ‘health and stockmanship’ scores with sows in dry sow unit. The results from two production data differ from each other and it would be advisable to use Farm record data, with the production records from the whole year, for future studies on the subject. Based on this experiment actions to improve animal welfare also have an economical impact as they enhance the production of the sows. Especially good quality stockmanship and healthier animals results in greater number of piglets born and shorter reproduction cycle. Special attention should be paid to minimizing the social stress and the success of feeding in group housed gestating sows.