Lactational oestrus in the sow 2. The influence of group-housing, boar presence and feeding level upon the occurrence of oestrus in lactating sows

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Abstract
A 2×2×2 factorial experiment investigated the effect on lactational oestrus in sows of housing system (group or singly housed; G v. S), boar presence (boar present or absent; B v. N) and feeding level (ad libitum or restricted; A v. R). All treatments were imposed from day 20 post partum until weaning at day 42. A total of 183 Camborough hybrid female pigs were used, providing between 21 and 24 animals within each cell in the experimental design.The occurrence of oestrus during lactation was observed as: 0·40 for G compared with 0·10 for S (Ppost partum and 31·6 days after farrowing, and no significant differences were apparent between treatments. Individual piglet and overall litter weight gains were significantly reduced on G compared with S treatments (P < 0·01).Sow food intake was greater for the S compared with G, for N compared with B, and A compared with R treatments (P<0·001). Sows on the R treatment lost significantly more live weight than the A sows between days 20 and 42 (P<0·001). Singly-housed sows also lost more weight than group-housed sows between farrowing and day 42 (P<0·001), mainly because of losses occurring before day 20.