An investigation of risk factors for increased sow mortality in Canadian herds, and identification of potential mitigation strategies

Project 24-02 - Yolande Seddon, University of Saskatchewan

This project will investigate relationships between increased mortality rates and causes to environmental, management, and individual sow risk factors, to identify risk factors involved. Based on this, advice will be compiled on potential strategies for reducing mortality and relate the broad findings to the swine industry nationwide.

Little is known about the risk factors for increasing sow mortality and how to address them. Mortality etiology is diverse, with sudden death peripartum and involuntary culling due to lameness and reproductive performance most reported [1-3]. This suggests that herd-dependent factors (management, herd health status) likely play a role in mortality. However, previous work is limited to studies of single herds [1,4], or with low respondent numbers [low sample size, poor data quality, 5], with only a few investigating both herd and sow-level risk factors [6]. The proposed research will investigate retrospective risk factors for sow mortality at herd and sow-level across Canada, ensuring a more representative sample than previously studied, to holistically explore a broader range of relationships to mortality. Genetic selection over the past three decades increased sow productivity, while the trend for mortality increased. A retrospective analysis offers a valuable approach to understand how mortality risk factors may be changing in line with production targets. Using knowledge of modern sow biological demands, combined with autopsy outcomes, sow mortality data collected using retrospective on-farm records, and by working with producers to collected better quality data, we will investigate relationships between increased mortality rates and causes to environmental, management, and individual sow risk factors, to identify risk factors involved. Based on this, we will compile advice on potential strategies for reducing mortality and relate the broad findings to the swine industry nationwide.