An Investigation on Fertility Characteristics of Sows and Growth Performances of Piglets Bred in A Commercial Farm

Abstract

In this study, some fertility characteristics such as fertility, survavilty and growth performance of limited number of sows bred in commercial farm were compared between the two birth season in a production year (autumn and spring). The effect of farrowing season on conception rate, litter size and the number of live born piglets in a litter was found insignificant (P>0.05), the effect of farrowing season on stilborn was found to be significant (P<0.05). It was found out that the effect of birth season, parity, litter size on pre-weaning survival rate of piglets borned in different birth seasons was significant (P<0.05) while the effect of sex was found to be insignificant (P>0.05). The factors, effecting the growth rate of piglets, like birth season, sex, parity, litter size were evaluated and it was found out that the effects of birth season and litter size was significant (P<0.05), but effecting of parity and sex on the growth rate were found insignificant (P>0.05).