A comparison of piglet production and survival in the Werribee Farrowing Pen and conventional farrowing crates at a commercial farm

The 'Werribee Farrowing Pen', which was developed as a loose housing altern ative to the conventional farrowing crate for sows and litters, was evaluat ed as a practical alternative to farrowing crates. Four Werribee Farrowing Pens and 5 crates were installed side-by-side in an uninsulated grower pig shed at a commercial farm. The trial was conducted over 18 months and invol ved 17 batches of sows with a total of 146 commercial Pig Improvement Compa ny Camborough sows and litters, 66 in Werribee Farrowing Pens and 80 in cra tes. The sows ranged in parity number from 1 to 8 (mean +/- s.d., 2.8 +/- 1 .77). Staff conducted an internal examination of sows at farrowing to manua lly deliver piglets half as often (P<0.05) in the Werribee Farrowing Pen co mpared to the crate treatment (13.6% v. 27.5% of sows, respectively). Wheth er this difference reflected a greater incidence of farrowing problems for crate treatment sows, or a reduced willingness by piggery staff to interfer e with unrestrained sows in the Werribee Farrowing Pen treatment, is not kn own. There were no differences due to the farrowing system on the number of piglets born per sow (11.5 piglets) or weaned (9.4 piglets). Sows were fed 'to appetite' after the first week of lactation, and in 6 farrowing batche s, the quantity of feed provided to sows each day was measured. Werribee Fa rrowing Pen compared to crate treatment sows received more feed (P<0.01) in week 3 of lactation (55.0 v. 48.2 kg/sow.week). We conclude that although piglet production and survival rates were similar in the two systems, the m ain disadvantage of the Werribee Farrowing Pen for intensive pig buildings, viz. extra floor space required per sow, may be partly offset by improved feed intakes by sows later in lactation.