Peri-partum posture and behaviour of gilts and the location of their piglets in lines selected for components of efficient lean growth

Peri-partum posture and behaviour of gilts from lines selected for different components of efficient lean growth were studied to determine if behavioural changes may have been associated with the observed responses in reproductive performance. The proportions of time that gilts expressed defined posture and behaviour traits and the locations of their piglets were determined from video recordings of observations made at 5min intervals in the period extending from 2h pre-farrowing to 2h post-farrowing. The 137 gilts studied were from four pairs of Large White lines which had been divergently (high and low) selected for either daily food intake (DFI), lean food conversion efficiency (LFC), lean growth rate on ad libitum feeding (LGA) or lean growth rate on a restricted feeding scale (LGS).Almost all the significant (P<05) changes occurred in the LGS pair of lines. In the pre-farrowing period, relative to the low LGS gilts, high LGS gilts spent a higher proportion of their time lying on their sides (0.92 versus 0.69), and less time in the upright postures of standing, sitting or lying on their bellies (0.08 versus 0.33) and engaging in nesting behaviour (0.02 versus 0.10). During farrowing, high LGS gilts again lay on their sides more often than low LGS gilts (0.96 versus 0.80) and were upright less often (0.04 versus 0.20). High LGS gilts changed posture less often than low LGS gilts (0.05 versus 0.31) but were more often alert (0.79 versus 0.61). During farrowing, high LGS piglets were seen less often at their mother's head, back and vulva or at the creep than low LGS piglets (0.06 versus 0.15). Post-farrowing, there were no significant differences between the lines, almost all gilts lying on their sides with their piglets at the udder. Divergent selection for components of efficient lean growth rate on ad libitum feeding was not associated with consistent responses in gilt posture and behaviour or in piglet location. Selection for high lean growth on restricted feeding had effects on gilt posture and behaviour which may have been beneficial to her welfare and that of her piglets.