PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS ON SOW LOCOMOT OR DISORDERS EVALUATION - RESULTS OBTAINED BY 5 METHODS

Normal sows (NS) stood with their stifle anterior to a verticle line t hrough the toe tip. In lame sows (LS) the stifle of the lame leg was p osterior to the line. Sows with shifting lameness (SS) were intermedia te. The difference in weight-bearing between the hind legs of LS diffe red from that in NS and SS. The frequency of leg movements in SS was g reater than in NS. NS and SS stood for longer periods after feeding th an did LS. The rate of lying down after the morning meal differed betw een farms. These preliminary results indicate all the methods are pote ntial measures of locomotor disorders and warrant further evaluation. An electronic scale which should increase the accuracy and ease of app lication of 3 of the methods is propose.