The Impact Of Litter Of Origin On Lifetime Productivity - Dr. Jenny Patterson, from the 2015 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, September 19-22, 2015, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2015-leman-swine-conference-material

1. Litter of Origin on Sow
Lifetime Productivity
J Patterson, G Foxcroft, N. Holden, T. Werner, M. Allerson,
E. Triemert, L. Bruner, J-C Pinilla
Leman Swine Conference
September 22, 2015

2. Outline
• “Litter of origin” has a major effect on the lifetime
productivity (Foxcroft 2015).
• Evidence for induced “litter phenotypes” in commercial
sow populations.
• Impact of the LBWT phenotype on maternal and
commercial sows.
• Productivity of the LBWT phenotype sow
• Lifetime productivity of replacements produced
• Management interventions:
• Planned culling
• Post-natal management strategies
• Conclusions

3. Consequences of low birth weight pigs
• Considerable negative economic impact for pork
production systems (Foxcroft et al., 2009).
• Within-litter variation in birth weight has many
negative effects on pre- and post-natal development:
Runting
Pre-wean
Mortality
Growth
Rate
Carcass
quality
Reproductive
potential
Intra-Uterine Growth Retardation

4. Relationship between birth weight and how long
they remain in the herd
Reviewed by Flowers 2015, NPB
1.1 kg
1.1 – 1.6 kg
1.6 kg

5. Low birth weight phenotype (‘litter of origin’)
1. Evidence for induced “litter phenotypes” in
commercial sow populations.
2. The entire litter is affected, not just individual
pigs within the litter
3. Low birth weight phenotype of economic
importance.

6. Causes of low birth weights
Genotype
Phenotype
Ovulation Rate Uterine Capacity
Embryonic/fetal
survival
Placental function

7. Litter average birth weight vs total born
NPB Project, 2015
y = -0.0339x + 1.8401
R² = 0.2417
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
1.3
1.5
1.7
1.9
2.1
2.3
2.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Averagelitterweight(kg)
Total born
P1-3 P4-6

8. Low average litter birth weight is not just a consequence of high TB
NPB Project, 2015
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
1.3
1.5
1.7
1.9
2.1
2.3
2.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Averagelitterweight(kg)
Total born
P1-3 P4-6
Increasing lack of high
birth weight litters due
to prolificacy
"Extreme Low Birth
Weight Phenotype",
irrespective of TB (20%)

9. 0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Averagelitterweight(kg)
Total born
Low Birth Weight Phenotype
High Birth Weight Phenotype
Low litter BW is a repeatable trait

10. Low litter BW is a repeatable trait
0.5
1
1.5
2
1 2 3 4
ALBW
Number of litters measured (within sow)
0
5
10
15
20
25
1 2 3 4
Littersize
Number of litters measured (within sow) NPB Project, 2015

11. Low litter BW is a repeatable trait
0.5
1
1.5
2
1 2 3 4
ALBW
Number of litters measured (within sow)
0
5
10
15
20
25
1 2 3 4
Littersize
Number of litters measured (within sow)
Confirms previous results in terminal-line sows, no
nucleus/multiplication sows first giving birth to a Low
average BW litter produced a High BW litter at the
next farrowing.

12. Low birth weight phenotype
Ovulation Rate Uterine Capacity
Embryonic/fetal
survival
Placental function
“Litter of origin”
LOW birth weight phenotype
Productivity of the LBWT sow
&
Lifetime productivity of replacements produced
-

13. What is the impact of the LBWT phenotype in
maternal line sows on SLP?
“The total number of quality pigs weaned during the
productive lifetime of a female; from the time she becomes
breeding eligible until she leaves the herd.” (NPB, 2010)
replacement gilts produced
Sows that exhibit a repeatable LBW phenotype:
 Have poor/low selection rates
 Produce very few “select” replacement gilts
 Replacement gilts may have compromised SLP
 Pass these traits onto their progeny
(replacement gilts)

14. 0/7
Select
1/6
Select
1/9
Select
LBWT Sows have poor selection rates
SowID Gilt Tag Litter Size Birth Wt Cull Age Cull Reason
5559 9085 TB 20 0.93 8 Overlay
5559 9087 BA 16 0.82 21 Runt
5559 9086 0.95 21 Runt
5559 9084 1.18 21 Runt
5559 9082 1.36 21 Runt
5559 9083 1.25 24 Runt
5559 9081 0.93 32 Overlay
6424 8335 TB 15 1.43 20 Runt
6424 8336 BA 13 0.95 147 Runt
6424 8337 0.84 41 Euthanize condition
6424 8338 1.45
6424 8339 0.93 147 Runt
6424 8340 0.59 23 Runt
5412 9114 TB 21 0.86 5 Overlay
5412 9115 BA 20 0.93 167 limited viability
5412 9116 0.95 5 Overlay
5412 9117 0.93 40 Euthanize condition
5412 9118 1.18 167 Thin
5412 9119 0.98 64 Runt
5412 9120 1.09 97 Lost in system
5412 9121 1.02
5412 9122 0.95 64 Runt
NPB Project, 2015

15. 30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Born 30 d 170 d Serve
RetentionRate
<1.0
1-1.25
1.25-1.5
1.5-1.75
>1.75
Produce very few “select” replacement gilts
NPB Project, 2015
<40% of gilts with a birthweight
<1 kg will be served
n
449
1001
1230
561
241

16. Replacement gilts may have compromised SLP
y = -0.1977x2 + 0.9768x + 0.0452
R² = 0.7356
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
UterineWeight(g)
Gilt body weight at birth (kg)
<1.14
1.14-1.6
>1.6
Birth Weight
Linck Moroni, unpublished data
Will these gilts have
compromised lifetime fertility?

17. Dam
performance
upto 6 parities
Ave litter BW – 1.5
Ave TB – 12.3
Ave litter BW – 1.1
Ave TB – 13.9
Daughter
performance
upto 6 parities
Litter of Origin – Performance of daughters
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Daughterlitterweight
Daughter Parity
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
(litter sizes of 10-16)

18. Additional impact on commercial line
progeny born to LBWT sows:
• The lean growth potential of the offspring of the
entire litter not just the small pigs!
• Increased pre-weaning morality,
• reduced survivability,
• reduced growth rates and efficiency
• Increased variation in pig market weights
• Slow growing pigs need to stay in barn
longer to hit carcass weight targets
Smit, 2010

19. Low birth weight phenotype
Ovulation Rate Uterine Capacity
Embryonic/fetal
survival
Placental function
“Litter of origin”
LOW birth weight phenotype
Productivity
&
Lifetime productivity of replacements produced
Management & post-natal
interventions
Develop selection
& production
strategies
+-

20. Management Interventions
• Can the efficiency of the nucleus/multiplication farm be
improved by “non-selecting” low birth weight litters at
farrowing and early culling of sows with a repeatable
low birth weight phenotype?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
1
21
41
61
81
101
121
141
161
181
201
221
241
261
281
301
321
341
361
381
401
421
441
461
481
501
521
541
561
581
601
621
Averagetotalborn
Averagelitterweight
Sow
5 % of litters
NPB Project, 2015

21. Parity TB/BA
2 17/17
3 20/19
4 17/14
5 14/12
6 19/15
17.4/15.4 1.1Average: 12.0/11.8 1.8
Average
Litter Wt
1.8
1.8
1.8
2.0
1.4
Low Birth Weight High Birth Weight
Which sow would you cull?
If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it!
<1.0 >1.75
% Weaned 67% 92%
% Entered GDU (170 d ) 53% 83%
% Served 38% 68%
Average
Litter Wt
1.0
0.8
0.9
0.9
1.0
TB/BA
12/12
11/11
13/13
12/12
12/11
(5.7) (8.1)

22. Post-Natal Management Interventions
• Measure birth weight to determine phenotype on sows.
• Planned culling of sows that repeatedly display the low
birth weight phenotype.
• Segregate sows into farrowing rooms based on expected
birth weight phenotype.
• Ensure adequate colostrum intake (Bartol et al., 2013).
• Colostrum provides essential nutritive and protective support to
newborns as they transition from prenatal to postnatal life
• Promotes normal uterine development within the first 2 days of life.
• Lack of colostrum intake could potentially negatively impact uterine
capacity and reproductive performance as adults.

23. • Strategic cross-fostering (Billy Flowers, 2015).
• Reduce the litter size in which replacement gilts are raised.
• Significantly increased sow longevity, improved farrowing rate, and
tended to increase number of pigs born over 6 parities.
Flowers, 2015
Post-Natal Management Interventions

24. Flowers, 2015
• A reduction in nursery
competition may increase
overall growth & enhance
early development of
reproductive organs
• Minimum # of pigs to be
reduced is unknown.
• Best opportunity might be
medium sized pigs, or all
future replacements.
• Current NPB study will
provide strategies (Meli
and Flowers).
1.1 kg1.1 kg 1.1 – 1.6 kg 1.6 kg

25. Conclusions: “Litter of origin”
LOW birth weight phenotype
• “Litter of origin” has a major effect on the lifetime
productivity.
1. Evidence of “low birth weight phenotypes” in
commercial sow populations.
2. Low birth weight is a repeatable trait within sow and
over generations.
3. Gilts born from low birth weight phenotype sows will
have compromised SLP.
Productivity of LBWT sow
Lifetime productivity of replacements produced
-

26. Summary
“Litter of origin”
LOW birth weight phenotype
Productivity of LBWT sow
&
Lifetime productivity of replacements produced
Management & post-natal
interventions +-
• “Management interventions:
1. Strategic culling of LBWT sows
2. Management Interventions

27. Future Work – NPB Funded Project on
Improving Sow Lifetime Productivity
• Birth weight phenotype determined on 600+ sows
• >5000 gilts have been tagged to date and will be monitored
for retention and SLP
• Projected studies:
• Strategic cross-fostering & litter manipulation of LBWT
phenotype sows (Dr. William Flowers)
• Effect of litter of origin on puberty in gilts (Dr. Robert
Knox).
• Relate factors associated with puberty and
delayed puberty to litter of origin
• Use ultrasound to determine size of ovulatory
follicles, estimates of uterine size, etc.

28. Acknowledgments
• Holden Farms
• Nick Holden
• Matt Allerson
• Laura Bruner
• Troy Werner
• Elaine Triemert
• Aaron Hansen
• Jessica Groenewold
• Juan-Carlos Pinilla
• National Pork Board