Euthanasia for Gilts and Sows on Japanese Commercial Farms

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to determine euthanasia rate and euthanasia risk, and to compare removal patterns between euthanized females and the other females on Japanese commercial farms. The present study was conducted by using lifetime record data of 62,742 females born between 2001 and 2004 on 101 farms. Linear mixed-effects models were performed to compare lifetime measurements. Of the 101 farms, 25 (24.8%) had records of euthanized females. At the farm level, the mean proportion of removed females that had been euthanized (±SEM) on the 25 farms was 1.27±0.38% with a range between 0.06 and 8.44%. At the individual female level, of the 21,094 females on the 25 farms, the proportions of removed females that were euthanized, dead, or culled were 1.7, 9.7, and 88.6%, respectively. Annualized euthanasia rate was 0.63%. Of the 348 euthanized females, 53.7 and 25.0% were euthanized due to downer and locomotor problems, respectively. Mean values of parity at removal and female life days in the euthanized females were 3.3±0.13 and 717.2±18.58 days, respectively. Euthanized females had lower parity at removal and shorter female life days than culled females (P<0.05), but had similar values to dead females. Euthanasia risks in parity 0, 1, and 2 were 0.23, 0.27, and 0.23%, respectively. As parity increased from 3 to 6, the euthanasia risks increased from 0.22 to 0.59%. The percentages of sows euthanized at week 0, 1, and 2 after the last farrowing were 2.7, 21.6, and 8.4%, respectively. In conclusion, few females were euthanized on commercial farms in Japan. The removal pattern of the euthanized females was similar to that of dead females. It is ethical to euthanize a female that is immobilized due to severe lesion or other problems rather than waiting for the female to die.