Shunt fostering on a large-scale commercial pig farm in Hungary: Interplay between backfat thickness and piglet weaning performance

Shunt fostering, also known as fall-behind management, is a unique piglet management strategy in commercial pig farming. We investigated the effects of shunt fostering on sow backfat thickness and piglet weaning. Seventeen sows were prospectively used for shunt fostering. Backfat thickness was measured at farrowing, early weaning (EW), and final weaning (FW). The results showed that the mean parity of sows utilized for shunt fostering was 3.4 ± 0.7. At farrowing, EW and FW, the mean backfat was 14.52 mm ± 2.7, 11.65 mm ± 2.23, and 10.06 mm ± 2.14, respectively. Backfat thickness differed (p<0.05) from farrowing to weaning; however, there was no difference (p>0.05) in backfat changes during weaning times. Sows used in shunt fostering lost 13.7% of their backfat within that period and 33.5% during the entire lactation period. There was a difference (p < 0.05) in the number of weaned piglets during EW (13.18) and FW (12.41). Spearman’s correlation established a positive but non-significant relationship between backfat thickness at farrowing and number of live born (ρ=0.336, p>0.05). In conclusion, shunt fostering is meant to increase piglet survival and these findings underscore the importance of focusing on aspects of management that could improve efficiency of shunt fostering.