What causes savaging in pigs?

What causes savaging in pigs?

Causes. Savaging is most common in gilts with their first litters and is often associated with nervousness or apprehension in the gilt before farrowing. Poor relationships with stockpersons may also predispose to savaging as may crating the sow in conditions where the piglets can pass in front of the sow frequently.

What is the differentiate boar gilt and sow?

Although they can become sexually mature sooner, a gilt usually is bred for the first time between six and nine months old. After breeding or having a litter, she is called a sow. Gilts not selected for breeding usually are used for meat. Barrows are kept primarily for meat production.

What is a natural behavior for pigs?

Pigs are highly intelligent and inquisitive creatures, and if allowed to behave naturally they will explore and investigate their surroundings. Instinctively they will forage and usually will root into the ground for their food. They are omnivores and consume a diverse diet.

What are some learned behaviors of a pig?

Pigs learn quickly to manipulate food and water devices, to turn fans on and off (Ingram and Legge,1970) and to turn on a source of radiant heat (Ingram et al., 1975). Auditory stimuli are used extensively by pigs as a means of communication in all social activities (Gonyou, 2001).

How do you stop pigs from savaging?

Prevention of Savaging

1. Regularly handle pregnant gilts sympathetically.
2. Adopt a quiet approach to management of farrowing houses.
3. Ensure gilts are crated 3 or more days prior to farrowing.
4. Provide bran as a substitute to high level compound feed prior to farrowing.

What causes sudden death in piglets?

In general, sudden death in finishing pigs can be divided into enteric (gut) conditions, respiratory (lung) infections and individual pig events. Enteric conditions would include ileitis, hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS), twisted gut and stomach ulcers.

What are the factors to consider when it comes to culling boars sows and gilts?

Voluntary culling (selected) poor litter size. poor lactation and rearing ability. poor maternal behaviour. decreased productivity compared to the herd average.

What is gilt and sow?

A sow is a female pig that has already had a litter and a gilt is a female pig that has not had a litter. Therefore, a gilt can be a pregnant animal (up until its first litter). Pigs are prolific and a sow can have many litters over the course of her lifetime.

How do you tell if a pig is stressed?

Signs of stress in pigs include: Open-mouth breathing, vocalization, blotchy skin, stiffness, muscle tremors and the reluctance to move. If pigs begin to express signs like these, allow them to rest.

What is a pigs behavior like?

Resting behavior Pigs spend the majority of their time resting or lying. On average, grow-finish pigs spend 75 to 85% of their time lying, and 5 to10% eating, with the remainder of their time involving in other activities such as walking, sitting, rooting/nosing, and drinking [3].

What is wolf savaging?

Savaging is a term used in the study of ethology that refers to aggressive behaviour displayed by the mother towards the offspring. Aggressive behaviour includes being rough with, injuring, biting, attacking, crushing and killing (maternal infanticide) of the offspring.

What is the cause of savaging in gilts?

Causes. Savaging is most common in gilts with their first litters and is often associated with nervousness or apprehension in the gilt before farrowing. It may occur in some families or breeds and may be associated with fear of the new farrowing environment, especially when the animals have been loose housed prior to crating.

Why do some gilts behave like their mothers?

Poor relationships with stockpersons may also predispose to savaging as may crating the sow in conditions where the piglets can pass in front of the sow frequently. This condition is not generally transmissible, but where there is a breed or family susceptibility, gilts may behave like their mothers.

What are the effects of savaging in pigs?

Effects: Fear, excitement, piglet injury / death. Savaging is most common in gilts with their first litters and is often associated with nervousness or apprehension in the gilt before farrowing.

How can farrowing reduce the risk of savaging?

It is claimed that whilst savaging can still occur the duration and severity of the attacks tend to be lessened. Fig 3: Boxing piglets away during farrowing may reduce the risk of savaging. Savaging of piglets most commonly occurs in gilt litters (but is not always restricted to them).