A comparison of incomplete nursing in the sow in two environments

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Abstract
1. Many apparently normal nursings occur in the absence of milk ejection, but little is known about their frequency or causes. The present paper reports an observational study in which the incidence of these incomplete nursings was studied in detail.2. Nine lactating sows were studied throughout a 5-week lactation in each of two environments. One was a normal commercial farrowing house, and the other a cubicle in which the sow and litter were effectively alone. Extended (3 h) observations were made on each litter at various ages.3. Twenty-seven per cent of all nursings were found to be incomplete with little difference between the grouped and alone sows. Incomplete nursings often occurred within 40 min of a complete nursing and increased the interval between successive complete nursings. They also occurred most frequently during the 2nd and 3rd weeks post partum.4. Irrespective of the housing condition the sows initiated the same proportion of all nursings and a similar percentage of these were incomplete.5. Incomplete nursings appear not to be an artefact caused by crowding many lactating sows together, but they may reflect some form of discomfort of the sow. The problem of real and apparent nursing intervals is discussed.

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