0
The intensification of pig production and the selection of hyperprolific lines have increased litter size, but also heterogeneity and the proportion of piglets with low birth weight, compromising their viability and postnatal growth, and consequently, the efficiency of the system. In this scenario, optimizing neonatal management is a priority to improve survival and uniformity at weaning. Therefore, the main early determinants of piglet performance were jointly evaluated.
The objective was to analyze how birth weight, parity, and sibling relationships influence growth during lactation and weaning weight. The study was conducted on a commercial farm of hyperprolific sows, with individual monitoring of 1,403 piglets from birth to weaning. Birth and weaning weights, average daily gain (ADG), parity, and mortality were recorded; the animals were classified as normal weight, underweight, and extremely underweight.
The results confirm that birth weight is a determining factor: it is associated with ADG, weaning weight, and pre-weaning mortality, affecting both survival probability and postnatal growth. Lighter piglets exhibit higher mortality and lower ADG; normal-weight piglets achieve higher weaning weights and lower mortality. Parity also plays a role and should be considered in management: normal-weight piglets perform better with parities 5 and 6, while low-weight piglets perform better with parity 3. These findings support specific strategies for low-weight piglets and redistribution by weight and parity to optimize productivity and welfare in the farrowing room.