Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXVII, Issue 1
Written by Ioan LADOȘI, Alexandru Marius DEAC, Ileana MICLEA, Daniela LADOȘI, Marius ZĂHAN
Piglet birth weight plays a vital role in determining their growth performance and productivity of the farming systems. Moreover, piglet birth weight could be also a predictor for piglet survival and subsequent growth. A negative impact of litter size on piglet birth weight has been acknowledged, as large litters have reduced average piglet birth weights and increased within-litter birth weight variation. Consequently, comprehending the elements that influence piglet birth weight can have substantial financial effects on swine farming. A large scale trial was performed in several Romania commercial farms in order to identify the implications of the size of the production system on the piglet birth weight, survival and growth to weaning. Analysis of the records seems to suggest that there is a high variability in this respect among farms with similar rearing conditions and genetics. However, the survival rate to weaning of the low birth weight piglets (LW <1.3 kg) is low irrespective of the size of the farm. In contrast the high birth weight piglets (HW >1.3 kg) seems to thrive in both large, small or medium size units.
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