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Dirt Score in Large White Yorkshire Piglets during Preweaning Period Reared on Cement Concrete Floor

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An experiment was carried out on 24 Large White Yorkshire piglets of either sex at the pig unit of LFC of C.V.Sc., Rajendranagar, Hyderabad from birth to weaning. All experimental piglets were reared on normal conventional concrete flooring along with their mother till weaning (56 days). An evaluation of cleanliness (dirt scoring) was performed fortnightly during the experimental period. Pig cleanliness was assessed using a fivepoint scale on 4 anatomical areas: rear, back, and both flanks, and each area was given a score from 0 to 4. The observed fortnightly dirt score was 0.56 ± 0.03, 0.60 ± 0.02, 0.70 ± 0.02, and 0.97 ± 0.11 at first, second, third, and fourth fortnight respectively. There was a continuous increase in dirt score as the age advances. Statistical analysis revealed the mean dirt score at the fourth fortnight was significantly (P<0.01) different from the first, second, third, and overall mean dirt score.

Dirt Score in Large White Yorkshire Piglets during the Postweaning Period Reared on Different Floor Types

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An experiment was carried out on 24 Large White Yorkshire piglets of either sex at the pig unit of LFC of C.V.Sc., Rajendranagar, Hyderabad from weaning (56days) to 126 days. Piglets were reared on four types of flooring systems i.e., T1 (control group) reared on the concrete floor, T2 rubber mat, T3 elevated slatted floor, and T4 reared on soil floor. The floor space provided was 1.5 m2 per piglet during the post-weaning period. Pig cleanliness was assessed using a five-point scale on 4 anatomical areas: rear, back, and both flanks, and each area was given a score from 0 to 4. The cleanliness score was increased as the age advanced from first to ninth fortnight in all floor types. The overall mean cleanliness scores of LWY piglets maintained on four different floors was 2.21 ± 0.06, 2.57 ± 0.04, 0.63 ± 0.02, and 2.44 ± 0.03 in concrete, rubber mat, elevated slatted, and soil floor respectively. The overall mean dirt score of piglets reared on rubber mat floor was significantly (P<.0.01) higher than the piglets on the elevated slatted floor, but it was comparable with concrete and soil floor.  The higher cleanliness score of the piglets reared on rubber mat floor were dirtier than piglets on concrete and soil floor whereas, the piglets reared on elevated slatted (low score) were cleaner than rubber mat, soil, and concrete floors.