7/23/96

Contacts:
Mark Honeyman, Animal Science, (515) 294-4621
Brian Meyer, Agriculture Information, (515) 294-0706

EDITOR'S NOTE: The research in this release was presented in July at the American Society of Animal Science annual meeting.

MORE SPACE IN PASTURE HUTS MAY PROTECT PIGS: ISU STUDY

RAPID CITY, S.D. - Those little farrowing houses on the prairie may need to be roomier if more newborn pigs are to survive, say Iowa State University researchers.

"Deaths of young pigs is a major problem in the swine industry," said Mark Honeyman, an associate professor of animal science. "Pre-weaning mortality rates of 10 to 15 percent are common. A leading cause of death is crushing by the sows.

"Because we're seeing evidence of a resurgence in outdoor hog production, we decided to look at this problem in farrowing huts in the pasture," said Honeyman.

Results of the study were presented by Dennis Kent, an ISU livestock research specialist, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, July 23-26.

Over a six-year period, Honeyman compared pig mortality rates due to crushing in several types of commercial farrowing huts at an ISU farm in western Iowa. The huts had different shapes and sizes, and were made of wood, steel or plastic. Not all hut types were evaluated every year, as some were added when they came on the market.

A total of 279 litters in seven hut types were evaluated. The rate of pigs that died from crushing 10 to 14 days after birth ranged from 7 percent to 21 percent.

"We found the size of the huts may make a difference in pig survival," Honeyman said. "Generally, huts with more square feet of floor space had lower pig crushing losses. We studied only first-litter gilts. Floor space is probably even more crucial for older, larger sows."

More space comes at a price. Honeyman compared costs of the seven hut types, and found that the higher-priced ones are frequently those with more space and lower crushing losses.

"Besides the ability to protect pigs from crushing by the sow, producers should consider other factors when choosing a hut, including cost, ease of use, ease of access to the sow and litter, protection from temperature extremes and precipitation, portability and durability," said Honeyman, who continues to collect data on different hut types.

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