The effect of farrowing crate heat lamp location on sow and pig patterns of lying and pig survival

Three experiments were conducted to study sow and pig behavior during the 1 st 3 d after birth and pig survival during the 1st 2 wk after farrowing. In Exp. 1, 23 sows were housed in conventional farrowing crates that were div ided into five sections: a .5- x 1.5-m front creep section and the remainin g area divided into four sections, .75 x 1.05 m each. Air temperature was m aintained at 19 degrees C, and a 250-W heat lamp was placed at the right si de of the front creep in Treatment 1 (T1), or in the creep at the right sid e of the sow for Treatment 2 (T2). The percentage of pigs within 8 cm of th e sow's trunk was not affected by treatment, but it decreased (P < .001) fr om 61.8 +/- 3.4% on d 1 to 28.1 +/- 3.5% on d 3. As the percentage of pigs near the sow decreased, the percentage of pigs within the section containin g the heat lamp increased (T1, P < .05; T2, P < .10). Experiment 2 involved 15 sows and litters housed as in Exp. 1, except that heat lamps were not p rovided, and average air temperature was 27.3 +/- .2 degrees C during behav ioral observations. Even though the portion of the litter near the sow decr eased (P < .001) from d 1 to d 3(d 1, 57.0 +/- 3.4%; d 2, 42.9 +/- 3.3%; d 3, 31.7 +/- 3.3%), pigs did not concentrate in any specific section as they moved away from the sow. The average number of pigs within the front creep section (Section 1)fdr the 3-d period was less than (P < .01) the number i n any other crate section. Experiment 3 involved 147 sows and tested the ef fect of solid creep floor covering on pig survival for each of the heat lam p locations used in Exp. 1. Neither heat lamp location nor floor covering a ffected pig survival. During the Ist 3 d of life, pigs tend to lie near the sow regardless of heat lamp location or air temperature. Heat lamp positio n and floor covering under the lamp do not affect pig survival.