FARROWING DISORDERS (MMA SYNDROME) IN THE SOW - A FIELD-STUDY

A prospective epidemiological survey was undertaken in 5 farms. An overall number of 286 sows was considered and the sows were individually submitted to a detailed observation from 20 days ante-partum to 28 days post-partum (weaning). Farrowing disorders were measured using 5 clinical parameters and a final score was calculated. The survey has shown that the disorders usually appeared in connexion with each other. The prevalence of real disturbances was estimated to be 14.4 p.cent. The analysis of the data using descriptive multivariate methods showed that the sows that got a high score for the disorders had for the data recorded prior to farrowing a profile different from the profile of normal sows. The sows that were the more prone to develop the MMA syndrom were older; they gave birth to a larger litter and were heavier for a given parity; they had a higher prevalence of urinary infections and had a higher tendency to locomotor disorders. Survival rate in the piglets was related to the score obtained for MMA syndrome by the sow.