Piglet vitality and mortality within 48h of life from farrowing sows treated with carbetocin, oxytocin or without intervention.

Abstract

Stillborn piglets remain a major problem in intensive pig farming. To reduce mortality rates during birth process drugs are frequently used to decrease the length of the farrowing process. The aim of the present study was to compare piglet vitality and mortality within 48h of life when farrowing sows were treated with carbetocin, oxytocin or without intervention (control). Seventy-five (Camborough) and seventy-five (Topic 30) end of gestation sows from the first to the eleventh parity were used. Sows were housed in individual farrowing crates at two different intensive pig farms. The sows were randomly treated after the fourth piglet was born. Neonatal vitality was scored by judging piglets first breath, skin color, meconium staining and first standing resulting in a group of low vitality or high vitality score. Statistical analysis was carried out with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine which variables had significant value in the present study. The variables farm and treatment were always included in the final model. Results showed treatment to have no significant influence on the piglet vitality score (P>0.05). Piglets of sows treated with carbetocin had also no significant effect on mortality within 48h of life (P>0.05) but piglets of sows treated with oxytocin were less likely to survive the first 48h of life (P<0.05). In conclusion, piglets born from oxytocin treated sows were less likely to live after the first 48h of life. Stillbirth rates did not deviated significantly between the different treatments. The present study recommend intensive pig farms not to use uterine contraction stimulating drugs on a routine basis for accelerating parturition after the fourth piglet is born.