Original research Peer reviewed Effects of farrowing induction on suckling piglet performance R. E. Gunvaldsen; C. Waldner, DVM, PhD; J. C. Harding, DVM, MSc Summary tions of sterile saline administered at a length grew more slowly and suffered Objectives: To compare growth per- 6-hour interval. higher risk of morbidity during lactation compared to piglets of noninduced sows. formance and survivability in piglets of Results: Average gestation length in non- It is important to understand the objec- induced sows and in gestational-age- induced and induced sows was 117.0 and tives of a farrowing induction program matched piglets of noninduced sows; to 115.1 days, respectively (P < .001), with and the average gestation length of specific evaluate a novel intra-abdominal injection no differences between the VM and AB sow subpopulations in herds to avoid site; and to determine the incidence of groups. For every day of gestation, piglet production loss associated with premature adverse reactions to cloprostenol. growth rate increased 26 g per day (P < farrowings. Materials and methods: The 122 sows in .01). Body weights at 16 days of age were this study were allocated to two treatment 576 grams lower (P < .01), and the relative Keywords: swine, farrowing induction, groups or served as controls. Treatments risk of morbidity was 2.0 times higher (P < piglet performance, cloprostenol, prosta- consisted of two 1-mL (87.5-µg) injections .01), in piglets of induced sows. There was glandin F2-alpha a tendency towards higher mortality during of cloprostenol administered at a 6-hour Received: December 1, 2005 lactation in piglets of induced sows. interval on gestation day 114, either vul- Accepted: June 1, 2006 vomucosally (VM) or intra-abdominally Implications: Piglets born to sows induced (AB) into the external abdominal oblique 2 days before the herd’s average gestation muscle. Controls received two 1-mL injec- Resumen – Efectos de la inducción de o intra-abdominalmente (AB por sus siglas Implicaciones: Los lechones nacidos parto en el desempeño de lechones lac- en inglés) en el músculo oblicuo abdominal de hembras inducidas 2 días antes de la tantes externo. Las hembras en el grupo control duración de gestación promedio de la piara recibieron dos inyecciones de 1 mL de crecieron más lentamente y presentaron un Objetivos: Comparar el desempeño de solución salina estéril administradas con un riesgo más alto de morbilidad durante la crecimiento y la supervivencia en lechones intervalo de 6 horas. lactancia comparado con lechones de hem- de hembras inducidas y en lechones de bras no inducidas. Es importante entender Resultados: La duración promedio de la misma edad de gestación de hembras los objetivos de un programa de inducción gestación en hembras no inducidas e no inducidas; evaluar un nuevo sitio de de partos y la duración de gestación pro- inducidas fue de 117.0 y 115.1 días, respec- inyección intra-abdominal; y determinar la medio de subpoblaciones de hembras en las tivamente (P < .001), sin diferencias entre incidencia de reacciones adversas al clopro- piaras para evitar la pérdida de producción los grupos VM y AB. Por cada día de la stenol. asociada con partos prematuros. gestación, se incrementó el índice de cre- Materiales y métodos: Las 122 hembras cimiento 26 g por día (P < .01). Los pesos en este estudio se asignaron a dos grupos corporales a los 16 días de edad fueron 576 Résumé – Effets de l’induction de la de tratamiento o sirvieron como control. g más bajos (P < .01), y el riesgo relativo de mise-bas sur les performances zootech- Los tratamientos consistieron de dos inyec- morbilidad fue 2.0 veces más alto (P < .01), niques des porcelets à la mamelle ciones de 1 mL (87.5 µg) de cloprostenol en lechones de hembras inducidas. Hubo administradas con 6 horas de intervalo en una tendencia hacia una mortalidad más alta Objectifs: Comparer les performances de el día 114 de la gestación, ya fuera vulvo- durante la lactancia en lechones de hembras croissance et de survie de porcelets issues mucosamente (VM por sus siglas en inglés) inducidas. de truies induites à celles de porcelets de même âge gestationnel provenant de tru- ies non-induites; évaluer un nouveau site Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University d’injection intra-abdominale; et déterminer of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. l’incidence de réactions adverses au clopro- Corresponding author: Dr J. C. Harding, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western stenol. College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4; Tel: 306-966-7070; Fax: 306-966-7159; E-mail: john.harding@ Matériels et méthodes: Les 122 truies usask.ca. incluses dans l’étude ont été attribuées à This article is available online at http://www.aasv.org/shap.html. deux groupes de traitement ou ont servi de témoins. Les traitements consistaient Gunvaldsen RE, Waldner C, Harding JC. Effects of farrowing induction on suckling piglet µ performance. J Swine Health Prod. 2007;15(2):84–91. en deux injections de 1 mL (87.5 g) 84 Journal of Swine Health and Production — March and April 2007 de cloprostenol administrées à 6 heures enhances piglet survival if it is associated treatments or served as controls. Sows in d’intervalles au jour 114 de gestation, soit with improved supervision and neonatal each treatment group were injected with au niveau de la muqueuse vulvaire (VM) care.7 However, if the piglets saved are of 1 mL (87.5 µg) of cloprostenol (Planate; ou par voie intra-abdominale (AB) dans low birth weight and viability, lower sur- Schering-Plough Animal Health, Pointe le muscle abdominal oblique externe. Les vivability and growth performance in the Claire, Quebec, Canada) by either the VM témoins ont reçu deux injections de 1 mL nursery and grow-finish may result.5 or intra-abdominal (AB) route, at 8:00 am de saline stérile à 6 heures d’intervalle. and 2:00 pm on day 114 of gestation. Day The route of hormone administration for of gestation was calculated from the first Résultats: La durée de gestation moyenne inducing sows varies from barn to barn. day of breeding post weaning. Control chez les truies non-induites et induites Many producers in Western Canada prefer sows received two 1-mL injections of sterile étaient respectivement de 117.0 et 115.1 to use the perianal route, although studies saline on day 114 of gestation, either VM jours (P < .001), sans toutefois de dif- show that lower doses of cloprostenol given férence entre les groupes VM et AB. Pour (50% of sows) or AB (50% of sows). Intra- perianally are not as effective as intramus- chaque jour de gestation, le taux de crois- abdominal injections were made midway cular (IM) or vulvomucosal (VM) adminis- sance augmenta de 26 g par jour P < .01). along the mammary chain, dorsal to the tration.8 Anecdotal reports from farrowing Les poids corporels à 16 jours d’âge étaient mammary gland and directed dorsomedially technicians also link VM administration inférieurs de 576 g (P < .01), et le risque into the external abdominal oblique muscle with development of marked postadminis- relatif de morbidité était deux fois plus (Figure 1), using a new 20-gauge, 0.5-inch tration vulvar swellings. Thus, alternative élevé (P < .01), chez les porcelets issus de needle and a new 3-mL syringe. truies induites. Il y avait également une routes of administration are needed that tendance à avoir plus de mortalités chez les ensure effectiveness (response time), ease of Behavioral and injection-site porcelets provenant de truies induites lors administration, and the safety of the opera- reactions tor and patient. de la période de lactation. At the time of the first injection, the sow’s Implications: Les porcelets nés de truies The objectives of this study were to evalu- behavioral response to the injection was induites deux jours avant la durée de gesta- ate differences in performance of piglets categorized as none, minimal, or moder- tion moyenne du troupeau se sont dévelop- born to induced and noninduced sows; to ate. A minimal reaction consisted of one pés plus lentement et présentaient un plus determine the effectiveness of a novel injec- or more of flinching, tail wag (for VM grand risque de morbidité durant la lacta- tion site for administration of cloprostenol; injections), and vocalization. A moderate tion comparativement aux porcelets prove- and to determine the incidence of adverse reaction consisted of one or more of those nant de truies non-induites. Il est important injection-site and behavioral reactions fol- behaviours plus a movement (forward, de comprendre les objectifs d’un programme lowing administration of cloprostenol. backward, or jumping). Twenty-four hours d’induction de la parturition et la durée after the first cloprostenol injection, the moyenne de la gestation de sous-populations Materials and methods injection site was evaluated visually and by spécifiques de truies dans les troupeaux afin palpation for signs of tissue reaction, such d’éviter des pertes de production associées Animals and facilities as redness, swelling, or heat. Due to the avec des mises bas prématurées. The study was conducted at the Prairie nature of these observations, blinding was Swine Centre Inc (Floral, Saskatchewan, not used for behavioral response and injec- Canada), a 300-sow research farm associ- tion-site reaction. ynchronizing parturition may have ated with the University of Saskatchewan, many benefits, such as allowing staff over a 15-week period commencing May Farrowing supervision Sto supervise farrowing, minimizing 2005. The farm operates on a weekly batch Heat lamps were turned on the evening holiday and weekend work, and facilitat- system, farrowing approximately 12 to 14 before the anticipated farrowing, or sooner 1 ing cross-fostering.