Journal of Veterinary Epidemiology
Online ISSN : 1881-2562
Print ISSN : 1343-2583
ISSN-L : 1343-2583
Original Articles
A Field Study of the Relationship between Leg Structure Scores and Survivability, Backfat Thickness and Behavior in Stalled Female Pigs
Mai KANEKOYosuke SASAKIYasutaka TAKAIYuzo KOKETSU
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2009 Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 114-120

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Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to apply leg structure scores (LSS) to examine the leg structures in stalled females, to assess the occurrence of poor leg structures, to investigate any associations between LSS and backfat thickness or behavior, and to compare the survival probabilities between LSS groups. A commercial farm equipped with a computerized recording system was visited six times over two years to record the LSS in the four legs of 709 stalled females. The structures were scored by trained evaluators when a female was standing in a gestation stall. In our scoring method (POOR or OK), the POOR leg structure was defined as buck-kneed front legs, sickle-hocked hind legs or post-legged hind legs. Females having at least one POOR leg were classified into the POOR group and the other females were classified into the OK group. We recorded the relative frequencies (%) of three types of postural behavior (standing, sitting or lying) and vacuum chewing in stalled females by point sampling at 15-minute intervals over a six hour period when the leg evaluators were recording LSS during our farm visits. Linear mixed-effects models and survival analysis were performed. The mean value (±SEM) of observed parity for the 1,560 four-leg observations in 709 females was 1.9±0.04. Relative frequencies in the POOR and OK groups were 6.4% and 93.6%, respectively. LSS was recorded more than twice in 69.8% (495 females) of the 709 females. The LSS in 86.5% (428 females) of these 495 females did not change across parity. Proportions of females having the POOR leg structures in parity 0, 1, 2, 5 and 6 were lower than those in parity 3 and 4 sows (P<0.05). No differences were found between the LSS groups for hazards of culling, backfat measurements or any types of behavior of females (P>0.10). In summary, stalled females having POOR or OK leg scores similarly survived. Furthermore, the LSS of stalled females was not related to backfat thickness or behavior.

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© 2009 The Japan Society of Veterinary Epidemiology
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