SELECTION OF REPLACEMENT GILTS FOR THE BREEDING HERD TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

A comparison was made between the method of selecting piglets for replacement based on the value of the previously, proposed by scientists, index of viability of newborn piglets and the method of selection taking into account the self-attachment of piglets to the three front pairs of the most milky sow teats. It was established that the probability of self-attachment of a piglet to the front milkier three pairs of sow teats is in a positive and high relationship with the value of viability index of newborn piglets with a correlation coefficient of 0,95. Piglets that occupied the front three pairs of sow teats during the suckling period significantly (P≤0.001) exceeded the rest in weight at 21 days and at 60 days by 22,7 % and 5,4 %, respectively. When weaned from sows, the behavioral reactions of piglets were evaluated in an artificially created stress situation, with identification of groups of individuals, which were resistant and non-resistant to the effects of psychological (emotional) stress. When observing animals in these groups, it was established that among stress-resistant individuals, the superiority in fertility at the first insemination and the overall proportion of farrowed animals was 11,1 percentage points, and in terms of prolificacy – 2,6 heads (p≤0.05) or 33,3 %, compared to vulnerable to stress individuals. In terms of the number of stillborn piglets, vulnerable to stress sows exceeded the stress-resistant ones by 2,5 times. The proportion of stress-resistant sows, which were transferred to the main herd, was 27,8 percentage points higher than the group of non-resistant ones. Based on the analysis of the obtained results, the use of the ethological method of selecting piglets for herd replacement, taking into account the fact of their self-attachment to the front three pairs of sow teats, as well as the use of the ethological express method of selecting piglets for replacement, taking into account their resistance to psychological (emotional) stress, is scientifically justified.