Anaemia in the sow: a cohort study to assess factors with an impact on haemoglobin concentration, and the influence of haemoglobin concentration on the reproductive performance

摘要

Over the past 20 years, the productivity of pig farms in France has increased steadily; the total born per litter has increased by 1.6 piglets since 1999, reaching 14.1 in 2009. However, the number of weaned piglets has only increased by 1.1, reaching11.3. Furthermore, the farrowing interval has reduced by 3.2 days. Despite this significant increase in sow productivity, National Research Council standards of recommended dietary intakes for sows have not been reviewed since 1998. Nutritional intakescould therefore no longer be adequate due to the increased prolificacy of sows and may be insufficient to restore their iron reserves between pregnancies. If so, there could be an increased prevalence of anaemia among sows, which may be a risk factor for reproductive disorders such as stillbirth and reduced fertility and lead to early culling.