Influence of blood glucose level on sow traits, farrowing characteristics and piglet parameters in free farrowing sows

Studies have shown that maintaining adequate blood glucose levels can support the farrowing process in crated sows. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of blood glucose levels on sow traits and farrowing kinetics under free farrowing conditions. A total of 147 sows were monitored, with blood glucose levels measured at the beginning and end of parturition. The mean farrowing duration was 229 min ± 86 min, with an average of 16.1 ± 3.6 total born piglets. Blood glucose levels of the sow increased significantly at the onset of farrowing 4.44 ± 0.63 to 4.72 ± 0.79 mmol/L at the end. Older sows (≥5 litters) exhibited lower blood glucose at the onset of farrowing (4.3 ± 0.6 vs. 4.6 ± 0.6 mmol/l, p=0.021) and required more farrowing assistance (62% vs. 37%, p=0.001), having nearly twice as many stillborn piglets as younger sows (1.42 ± 1.5 vs. 0.78 ± 1.5). No significant correlation was found between blood glucose level and farrowing duration, suggesting that blood glucose levels at the onset of farrowing are not reliable predictors of prolonged farrowing (> 300 min) or dystocia (>1h piglet-piglet interval) in free farrowing systems. Overall, while glucose is essential for uterine energy during farrowing, the study concludes that other factors, such as sow age, meal timing, and temperature-humidity index, also play critical roles in farrowing success.
Future research should further explore these interactions to enhance sow and piglet performance in free farrowing systems.

2025

dissertation

true