Abstract

Aim: The study was aimed to evaluate the effects of ages, body weights and parity on reproductive characteristics in pigs.

Method and Materials: Primary data collected during the training period on 29 sows and 06 boars and the secondary data from the farm management were used.

Results: Sow’s reproductive characteristics values change with age, body weight and parity number. Independent of the these variation factors,  age of sows at 1^st mating was 7.32 ± 0.85 months, corresponding to an average weight of 77.08 ± 22.82 kg. The gestation length was 114.26 ± 1.09 days. The average litter sizes at birth and weaning were 9.09 ± 3.11 and 8.52 ± 3.46 piglets respectively. The average weight of piglets at birth was 0.95 ± 0.15 kg and the heaviest piglets were obtained with small litter sizes. Weaning occurred at 6.57 ± 0.97 weeks with an average body weight of 7.01 ± 1.42 kg. The average length from weaning estrus was 17.52 ± 5.42 days. The pig body weight at mating was positively correlated with the age at mating (𝜌 = +0.77). The piglet number at birth was negatively correlated with the gestation length (𝜌 = -0.52). Litter size at birth was positively correlated with sow weight (𝜌 = +0.82), sow age (𝜌 = +0.66), and parity number (𝜌 = +0.39) but negatively correlated with gestation length (𝜌 = -0.67). There was a positive correlation between the weight of piglets at weaning and weaning length (𝜌= +0.72).

Conclusion: It was concluded that all values of reproductive characteristics considered were compared to those ​​recorded by previous authors. The study of various factors revealed that age, body weight and parity influence reproductive characteristics values.

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