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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Morphometry of newborn piglets and its relevance at weaning: new approach

Lucas Melo e Silva https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3105-4020 A , Pedro Henrique da Silva Fidelis https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1760-6311 A , Lígia Vanessa Leandro Gomes https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7914-1356 A , Gleyson Araújo dos Santos https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2132-4779 A , Rodrigo Fortunato de Oliveira https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9608-5827 B , Amanda Medeiros Araújo de Oliveira https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7349-5559 C , Elias Silva de Medeiros https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9694-4019 D , Marcelle Santana de Araújo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-4256 A and Rennan Herculano Rufino Moreira https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7144-5750 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Animal Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid, Campus Mossoró, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

B Department of Animal Science at the Federal Institute of Goiano, Rio Verde Campus, Rodovia Sul Goiana, Km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO CEP 75901-970, Brazil.

C Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

D Federal University of Grande Dourados, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Technology, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

* Correspondence to: rennanherculano@hotmail.com

Handling Editor: Frank Dunshea

Animal Production Science 64, AN22405 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN22405
Submitted: 28 October 2022  Accepted: 22 February 2024  Published: 15 March 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

The strategic management of pigs raised in an intensive system has been conducted, in general, according to the average weight of piglets after weaning. Different models using morphometric parameters to predict the probability of any of the three weight classes (light, medium, and heavy) occurring post-weaning present themselves as an alternative to help the producer conduct these strategic managements.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the development of suckling piglets by using morphometric parameters.

Methods

A thousand simple samples were extracted at random from 268 piglets for the training data, which represent 70% of the original data set (384 piglets). The remaining 116 piglets (test data) were excluded from the analysis so as to verify the performance of the prediction (probability of each weight class to occur). Afterwards, the results were compared with the real weight class of the piglet at weaning. The variables in this research were birth weight (PWB), lactation length (Lac), and morphometric parameters of body length (BL), heart girth (HG), body mass index (BMI), ponderal index (PI), surface:mass ratio (SM), and parity order (PO). Different models were developed to predict the probability of any of the three weight classes (light, <3.967 kg; medium, 3.967–5.095 kg; and heavy, >5.095 kg) occurring at piglet weaning on the basis of their parameters 1 day postpartum. An adjustment of the ordinal regression was proposed to predict the weight classifications.

Key results

The model with a significant effect of the Lac variables was selected.

Conclusions and implications

One day after birth, light-weight and heavy-weight piglets, regardless of their morphometry, have a high likelihood of remaining in the same weight class at weaning. However, this does not apply to medium-sized piglets with diverse morphometry.

Keywords: body mass index, lactation, ordinal regression, pig farming, pig weaned, ponderal index, surface:mass ratio, weight stratification.

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