Impact of body condition on sow and litter performance, postpartum physiological, hematological, and biochemical parameters in Landlly crossbred pigs

A total of 32 Landlly crossbred sows were categorized into three groups based on their body condition score (BCS) on the 90 th day of gestation viz. low, moderate, and high body condition groups. BCS assessments were subsequently conducted on the 102nd day, at farrowing, and on the 7 th , 17 th , 27 th , and 42 nd day postpartum, along with measurements of ultrasonic backfat thickness and body weight. Key reproductive performance traits, including total number born (TNB) and alive (TLA), stillbirths, mummification, and litter weight at birth and weaning, were recorded. Several physiological, health, biochemical, and hematological parameters were also estimated at different lactation stages. Analysis of the data revealed that TNB, TLA ( P <0.04), and weaned piglets ( P <0.01), as well as litter weight at birth ( P <0.08) and weaning ( P <0.08), were significantly higher in the low BCS group. Meanwhile, the weaning to estrous interval ( P <0.04) was optimized in the high and moderate BCS groups. However, sows with high body condition exhibited higher stillbirths and pre-weaning mortality. Additionally, the order of increasing body condition correlated with superior colostrum quality, characterized by higher IgG levels ( P <0.02), and increased average milk yield during early and mid-lactation ( P <0.03). A high occurrence of postpartum dysgalactia syndrome (PDS) was evident in obese sows ( P <0.001). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the body condition of sows at late gestation and cortisol concentration throughout lactation across the three BCS groups ( P <0.0001). Furthermore, a strong positive correlation was observed between the postpartum serum concentration of T3 (thyroid hormone) ( P <0.002) and the prepartum body condition of sows. Based on these findings, maintaining sows with a moderate body condition (BCS of 3) and a backfat thickness of 21 mm in the breeding herd is recommended for enhancing profitability and productivity at the farm level.