We investigated postpartum behaviors of sows and their litters. The aim of this study was to determine the behavioral recovery of sows and behavioral development of their piglets postpartum.
Five multiparous sows(Landrace × Yorkshire) and their litters were studied over a period of 5 days postpartum. The litter size varied from 8 to 13 with a mean of 11.2 piglets. The behaviors of sows and their piglets were recorded using five CCD cameras, a multiplexer and a time lapsed VCR. The videotapes were scanned every 2 min to obtain an instantaneous behavioral sample.
In the behaviors of sows, ?Lying ventrally? increased from 1h postpartum to 26g postpartum, then decreased gradually, and stabilized after 80h postpartum. ?Lying ventrally? decreased from 1h postpartum to 26h postpartum and stabilized after 80h postpartum. ?Standing, drinking and feeding? increased from 1h postpartum to 23h postpartum, then decreased gradually, and increased again from 60h postpartum. ?Sitting? increased from 1h postpartum to 46h postpartum and then decreased.
In the behaviors of piglets, ?Lying? increased rapidly from 1h postpartum to 45h postpartum, and then was maintained at an almost constant level. ?Massaging and Suckling? decreased rapidly from 1h postpartum to 36g postpartum, and then was maintained at an almost constant level. ?Walking? increased from 1h postpartum to 21h postpartum, then decreased gradually.
These results suggest that the behavioral recovery of the sow is almost completed at 80h postpartum and that the behavioral development of the piglet is almost completed at 45h postpartum.
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