Utilização de mães de leite até terceiro parto na suinocultura: desempenho produtivo e reprodutivo em granja núcleo

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effects of using hyper-prolific sows subjected to nurse sow management in different parities, focusing on the analysis of zootechnical indices. These differences in subsequent parity were quantified, identifying possible associations between reproductive disorders and nurse sow management, and observing any changes in prolificacy and the interval between weaning and estrus. For this, the research used the retrospective study method. Initially, data analysis was defined for a total of 856 hyper-prolific sows (Large White and Landrace grandparent lines), evaluated over three consecutive parities (parity order 1 to 3), totaling 2568 farrowings. For this, 680 sows that were not used as nurse sows in any production cycle were evaluated as the control group, 103 sows that were used as nurse sows during parity order one, and 73 sows that were nurse sows during parity order two. The zootechnical indicators of live births, stillbirths, mummified fetuses, deaths at birth, total births, lactation days, total weaned, weight of weaned piglets, gestation days, retention rate, and number of farrowings/sow/year were evaluated. The results revealed that sows designated as nurse sows had a higher average number of weaned piglets per litter. This increase had a positive impact on the number of weaned piglets per sow per year index. Simultaneously, subsequent reproductive performance was improved, considering variables such as live births and total births. It is important to note that these improvements did not compromise the rates of birth losses, including stillbirths, mummified fetuses, and deaths at birth, nor did they negatively influence the interval between weaning and estrus. Additionally, it was found that sows in parity order one have a lower retention rate compared to those in parity order two. Thus, sows designated as nurse sows contribute to the improvement of the productive and reproductive performance of a farm, providing beneficial effects on the number of weaned piglets per sow per year.