The influence of mutual maternal and neonatal recognition on the foster mothering techniques in pigs

Résumé

Mutual maternal and neonatal recognition vis-à-vis four foster mothering techniques were investigated using 32 sows and 128 neonate piglets in a four-week trial. The sows and the neonates were assigned into four foster mothering techniques designated as: Neonates rubbed with an odoriferous chemical and grafted during the day (NRD); neonates without the chemical treatment Cul grafted during the day (NWD); neonates rubbed with the chemical and grafted during the righi (NRN) and neonates without the chemical treatment but grafted during the night (NWN). These four techniques were tested on four sets of sows comprising eight sows per set and four corresponding years of neunuce pigs currprising tirer-ko noonate pigs per set on four different post-partum days (i.e. day 1 to 4 following farrowing). Total acceptance of the dam by the neonate gave a value of 54 with the probability of acceptance of 0.42, while total acceptance of the neonate by the dam was 86 with a probability of acceptance of 0.67. Total rejection and probability of rejection of the dam by the neonates were 74 and 0.58 with values of 42 and 0.33 for total rejection and probability of rejection of the neonates by the dam, respectively. The dams gave a higher percentage acceptance than the neonates while the neonates gave a higher percentage of rejection than the dam. Grafting within the first two days of life would hold a better fostering success on the part of the neonate as they showed more dependence on auditory and visual cues whose acuity may not have been well-developed within these first two days of life while the acceptance of the neonates by the dam could be enhanced by chemical masking of the olfactory cues, which the dam utilizes most for the recognition of her offspring.