• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.1475-1478
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• 2005

Statistical analysis was conducted on sow stillbirth traits of three genotypes with 2,400 litters including the Erhualian, Large White and the $F_1$ cross of these two breeds. Number of stillborn piglets per litter in the Erhualian, Large White and the $F_1$ averaged 0.85, 0.31 and 0.70, and percentage born alive averaged 95.0%, 97.0% and 95.5%, respectively. Erhualian sows with a greater litter size also had a higher stillbirth rate. Results of analysis of variance indicated that genotype, parity, farrowing year${\times}$farrowing season interaction and total number born had highly significant effects on both number of stillborn piglets per litter and percentage born alive in sows (p<0.0001). Farrowing year had no significant effect on number of stillborn piglets per litter (p>0.05), and highly significant effect on percentage born alive (p<0.01). Farrowing season had highly significant effects on both number of stillborn piglets per litter and percentage born alive (p<0.01). From parity one to parity ten, least squares means for number of stillborn piglets per litter progressively increased with increasing parity and least squares means for percentage born alive progressively decreased with increasing parity. Sows that farrowed in winter had the highest number of stillborn piglets per litter and the lowest percentage born alive, sows that farrowed in autumn had the lowest number of stillborn piglets per litter and the highest percentage born alive. With increasing total number born, least squares means for number of stillborn piglets per litter markedly increased and least squares means for percentage born alive markedly decreased. Results from analysis of paternal half sibs indicated that the heritabilities for number of stillborn piglets per litter and percentage born alive were 0.110 and 0.124, and the genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations between them were -0.989, -0.951 and -0.948, respectively. These results indicated that number of stillborn piglets per litter and percentage born alive were traits with the similar genetic background.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.126-131
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• 2017

This study investigated the incidence rate of umbilical hernia (UH) in pig farms and examined the effect of using them as breeding pigs on reproductive traits. The occurrence of UH ranged from 0.1% to 3.0% in pig farms investigated. UH pigs were found in almost all farms except for a single farm in Jeju Island. Spontaneously occurring UH pigs were selected and used for cross breeding tests. UH-related crosses and their progeny showed significant (P < 0.05) differences in gestation period, the numbers of piglets born and alive, and body weights at birth and $21^{st}$ day comparing to those of the control population. UH-related crosses showed longer gestation period, reduced numbers of piglets, and lighter body weights than those from the control population. Interestingly, reduced number of piglets was about one fourth, suggesting that UH inheritance might play a critical role as a lethal gene during embryogenesis. In addition, UH incidence rate in UH-related crosses was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that in the control except for UH-cross3. However, in the progeny of control cross, a pig also had UH appearance, indicating that porcine UH might be inherited in recessive inheritance mode. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that UH is one of recessively inherited genetic defect that occurs at ordinary times in pig farms, suggesting that the use of UH animals as sire and/or dam may lead to economic losses due to increased gestation period, reduced numbers of piglets born and alive, and lower growth rates after birth of pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.237-244
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• 2018

Objective: Piglet pre-weaning mortality is an important variable indicating the efficacy of farrowing management and animal well-being during lactation. The present study determined the association of newborn traits measured soon after birth with piglet pre-weaning mortality and growth. Methods: In total, 805 piglets born from 57 multiparous sows were investigated. Their blood oxygen saturation, blood glucose and rectal temperature at 24 h after birth (RT24h) were monitored. Birth order, sex, skin color, integrity of the umbilical cord, attempts to stand and birth intervention were monitored. Piglets were weighed at day 0, 7, and 21 to evaluate average daily gain (ADG). Results: Piglet pre-weaning mortality for lactation period was 12.6% and cumulative mortality during the first 7 days of age was 8.6%. A higher proportion of piglets with pale skin color died compared to piglets with normal skin color (26.7% vs 7.7%, p<0.001). A higher (p<0.001) proportion of piglets that attempted to stand after 5 min (38.5%) died compared to piglets that attempted to stand within 1 min (6.3%) after birth. Piglet body weight at birth ($BW_B$), blood glucose and the number of piglets born alive (BA) were correlated with ADG (p<0.05). Piglets with $BW_B$ <1.30 kg had higher (p<0.001) mortality rate than piglets with $BW_B{\geq}1.80 kg$ (19.0% vs 3.3%) and piglets with $BW_B$ 1.30 to 1.79 kg (4.0%). Piglet with RT24h <$37.0^{\circ}C$ had higher (p<0.001) mortality rate (86.2%) than piglets with RT24h >$38.5^{\circ}C$ (3.9%). Conclusion: Low $BW_B$ and low RT24h compromise piglet survival during the lactation period in the tropical conditions. Piglets in the litters with a high BA, low $BW_B$ and low blood glucose have reduced ADG.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.50-56
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• 1979

This experiment was conducted to clarity the possibility of practical use of farrowing inductionin sow by the administration of prostaglandin F2$\alpha$. For this experiment, total 320 heads of pregnant sow and its piglets were used. The reproductive characteristics of artificially farrowed sow and, health and growth state of piglets were estimated. The results obtained in this experiment were summarized as following: 1. No significant difference were observed between naturally and artifically farrowed sow in several aspects such as the rate of dystocia, length of farrowing, farrowing intervals from piglet to piglet. 2. significant (P<0.05) differences were observed between naturally and artificially farrowed sow in intervals from weaning to estrus. However, there were no significant differences among those of 5, 7.5 and 10mg treated group. 3. There were no differences in number of stillbirth, immature birth and alive piglets at 3 weeks age per litter were observed. 4. Similar birth weight, weaning weight, daily gain and rearing rate of piglets were obtained from both naturally and artificially farrowing.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2008

Gnotobiotic piglets were routinely produced by hysterectomy. In this study, 22 pregnant miniature pigs (111th to 113th day of gestation) were used for hysterectomy. Before surgery, 14 pigs were insensibilizated by Ketamine 50^® plus CO₂ gas and 8 pigs by a slaughter pistol. The high level of Ketamine 50^® (0.09㎖/kg) was faster (146 vs 283 seconds) in surgery but the time taken for complete revival of one piglet was more prolonged (427 vs 64 seconds) than 0.03㎖/kg level. In hysterectomies with a slaughter pistol, surgery time was faster (470 vs 155 seconds) and the rate of alive piglets was higher (97.0 vs 83.8%) than in those with Ketamine 50^®. There were no problems in the rate of alive newborn piglets even when sows were hysterectomized at 3 days prepartum.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.18-18
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• 2003

In human, sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS) is synonyms for the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an infant. The incidence of SIDS has been estimated to be from 1 to 3%. Cloning has a relatively high rate of late abortion and early postnatal death, particularly when somatic cells are used as donors of nuclei and rates as high as 40 to 70% have been reported. However, the mechanisms for SIDS in cloned animals are not known yet. To date, few reports provide detailed information regarding phenotypic abnormality of cloned pigs. In this study, most of the cloned piglets were alive at term and readily recovered respiration. However, approximately 82% of male cloned piglets (81/22) died within a week after birth. Significant findings from histological examinations showed that 42% of somatic cloned male piglets died earlier than somatic cloned female piglets, most probably due to severe congestion of lung and liver or neutrophilic inflammation in brain, which indicates that unexpected phenotypes can appear as a result of somatic cell cloning. No anatomical defects in cloned female piglets were detected, but three of the piglets had died by diarrhea due to bacterial infection within 15 days after birth. Although most of male cloned piglets can be born normal in terms of gross anatomy, they develop phenotypic anomalies that include leydig cell hypoplasia and growth retardation post-delivery under adverse fetal environment and depigmentation of hair- and skin-color form puberty onset. This may provide a mechanism for development of multiple organ system failure in some cloned piglets. Th birth weights of male cloned pig in comparison with those of female cloned piglets are significantly reduced(0.8 vs 1.4kg) and showed longer gestational day(120 vs 114). In conclusion, brain meningitis and hepatopneumonic congestion are a major risk factor for SIDS and such pregnancy in cloned animals requires close and intensive antenatal monitoring.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.768-774
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• 2016

The present study investigated the impact of parity 1 gilt body weight during late gestation (d 109) on subsequent reproductive performance of sows and performance of suckling pigs. A total of 2,404 farrowing records over 6 parities were divided into six groups on the basis of body weight (190, 200, 210, 220, 230, and 240 kg) at d 109 of gestation of 585 gilts. Significant effects (p<0.05) of body weight on sow retention rate was noticed, with the 210 kg group having the lowest culling rate and highest total number of piglets born alive over the 6 parities. With increase of body weight, a linear increase (p<0.05) in losses of body weight and backfat during the lactation period of parity 1 and a linear decrease (p<0.05) in backfat loss for parities 4 and 6 were found. Compared with light sows, heavy sows had higher (p<0.05) litter weight at birth for parities 1 and 2 and at weaning in parity 1. Sow weaning-to-estrus interval of sows was not influenced (p>0.05) by body weight. In conclusion, maintaining optimal body weight during gestation would be beneficial to sows and suckling piglets.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1749-1756
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• 2021

Objective: Microminipig (MMP) is a miniature pig with an extra small body size for experimental use. In the present study, the occurrence of stillbirths and their genetic association with swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) class II haplotypes were evaluated in a population of MMPs. Methods: The occurrences of stillbirth and genetic association with SLA class II haplotypes using 483 stillborn and 2,246 live piglets, and their parents were compared among the three groups of newborn piglet litters; an all stillborn (AS) group consisting of only stillborn piglet litters, a partial stillborn (PS) group consisting of stillborn and live piglet litters, and an all alive (AA) group consisting of only live piglet litters. Results: The incidence of stillborn piglets was 483/2,729 (17.7%). Distributions of litter sizes, numbers of stillborn piglets in a litter, parities, and gestation periods were distinct among the three groups. The frequencies of low resolution haplotype (Lr)-0.7 or Lr-0.23 were higher in the AS group than in the PS or AA groups. In sires, the frequency of Lr-0.7 associated with the AS group was significantly higher in the AS group than with the AA group. In dams, the frequency of Lr-0.23 was significantly higher in the AS group than in the PS or AA groups, whereas the frequency of Lr-0.7 was not significantly different. Conclusion: The incidence of stillborn piglets in MMPs appears to be higher than those in other pig breeds. Several traits related with stillbirths such as the number of stillborn piglets and parities of the AS group were different from those of the PS and AA groups. Specific SLA class II haplotypes were associated significantly with a high incidence of stillbirths and could be used as genetic markers to adopt breeding strategies to lower the rate of stillbirth in MMPs.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 1993

This study was conducted to determine the main effects of the parity and farrowing season on gestation length and newborn pigs on the basis of the data obtained from 234 litters of Landrace breeds raised at an integrated swine farm in Kyunggy province from January 1991 to December 1992. The results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1. The average gestation length was 115.37 days, and 114.64 days of 8th parity and over was shorter than those of other parities. 2. The averages of litter size and litter size alive per sow were 9.91 and 9.50 heads. The litter size horn at 1st parity was smaller than at other parities, and the litter size in spring was larger than in summer, autumn or winter. 3. The averages of birth weight per litter and pig were 13.53 kg and 1.37 kg. The effect of farrowing season for each litter weight(p<0.01) and pig weight(p<0.05) at birth was significantly higher in spring than other seasons. 4. Incidence of malformation and stillbirth at birth was 4. 10%, and it at 8th parity and over showed the highest rate(7.50%).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.825-830
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• 2010

Two diallelic markers at candidate gene loci, the prolactin receptor 3 (PRLR3) gene and the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene were evaluated for their association with growth and litter size traits in Berkshire. Genetic evaluation was conducted for 5,919 pigs with pedigree information, which included 3,480 growth performance records and 775 litter size records of 224 sows. From the same herd, genotyping was carried out on 144 and 156 animals for PRLR3 and RBP4, respectively. After assigning a genotype to subjects in which both parents had a homozygous genotype, numbers of genotyped animals increased to 474 and 338, for the PRLR3 gene and RBP4 gene, respectively. The genotype effects of two markers were estimated with breeding values of the genotyped animals. The additive effects of total number of piglets born and number of piglets born alive in the PRLR3 locus were -0.28 and -0.13, respectively. The dominance effect of the RBP4 locus on average daily gain was -10.58 g. However, the polymorphism of the RBP4 locus in total number of piglets born and number of piglets born alive has shown -0.34 and -0.33 of the additive genetic effects. In view of the results, MAS (marker-assisted selection) favoring B alleles of RBP4 and PRLR3 loci could potentially accelerate the rate of the genetic improvement in the litter size traits.