Piglet uniformity and mortality in large organic litters: Effects of parity and pre-mating diet composition

In large organic litters, relationships between piglet birth weight, piglet uniformity and pre-weaning piglet mortality were studied. Furthermore, effects of parity and insulin-stimulating diets during the pre-mating period on piglet birth weight, uniformity, and mortality were investigated. Organically kept sows (n=137 sow cycles) were fed a control diet during lactation and weaning-to-insemination interval (CON), or an insulin-stimulating diet (sucrose plus lactose, both 150g/d) during only the weaning-to-insemination interval (WII) or during the last two weeks of a 41±4d lactation and the weaning-to-insemination interval (LAC+WII). Piglets (live born and stillborn) were weighed individually within 24h after birth. Cross-fostering was allowed within treatments within the first 3d after birth. Litter size was higher for parities 3 and 4 sows compared with older sows, whereas parity 2 sows had an intermediate litter size (the number of total born piglets was 17.0, 18.8 and 16.3 for sows of parities 2, 3+4 and ≥5, respectively; P