INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL BIRTH WEIGHT AND SEX ON SURVIVAL OF PIGLETS UP TO 3 WEEKS OF AGE

Abstract

A survey was undertaken to evaluate effects of individual birth weight and sex  on survival of piglets up to 3 weeks of age. Total of 680 piglets of Landrace, Yorkshire and F₁ (Landrace x Yorkshire) born from 2005 to 2006 on different farms in Nam Dinh province were surveyed and analyzed.  It was found that individual birth weight of piglets significantly influenced  the number of piglets born alive and  the culling rate at birth as well as the survival rates over 1, 2 and 3 weeks of age. The survival rate increased with increasing individual birth weight. Sex showed no significant effect on the survival of piglets. Raising piglets with light weights (<1.0 kg/head) is not recommended because of very low survival rate up to weaning.