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      Maternal investment, sibling competition, and offspring survival with increasing litter size and parity in pigs ( Sus scrofa)

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          Abstract

          The aim of this study was to examine the effects of litter size and parity on sibling competition, piglet survival, and weight gain. It was predicted that competition for teats would increase with increasing litter size, resulting in a higher mortality due to maternal infanticide (i.e., crushing) and starvation, thus keeping the number of surviving piglets constant. We predicted negative effects on weight gain with increasing litter size. Based on maternal investment theory, we also predicted that piglet mortality would be higher for litters born late in a sow's life and thus that the number of surviving piglets would be higher in early litters. As predicted, piglet mortality increased with increasing litter size both due to an increased proportion of crushed piglets, where most of them failed in the teat competition, and due to starvation caused by increased sibling competition, resulting in a constant number of survivors. Piglet weight at day 1 and growth until weaning also declined with increasing litter size. Sows in parity four had higher piglet mortality due to starvation, but the number of surviving piglets was not affected by parity. In conclusion, piglet mortality caused by maternal crushing of piglets, many of which had no teat success, and starvation caused by sibling competition, increased with increasing litter size for most sow parities. The constant number of surviving piglets at the time of weaning suggests that 10 to 11 piglets could be close to the upper limit that the domestic sow is capable of taking care of.

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          Most cited references54

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          Infanticide among animals: A review, classification, and examination of the implications for the reproductive strategies of females

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            Natural Selection, the Costs of Reproduction, and a Refinement of Lack's Principle

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              The Costs of Reproduction and Their Consequences

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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                +47-64965171 , +47-64965101 , inger-lise.andersen@mb.no
                Journal
                Behav Ecol Sociobiol
                Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
                Springer-Verlag (Berlin/Heidelberg )
                0340-5443
                1432-0762
                12 January 2011
                12 January 2011
                June 2011
                : 65
                : 6
                : 1159-1167
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
                [2 ]Frisch Centre, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
                Author notes

                Communicated by F. Trillmich

                Article
                1128
                10.1007/s00265-010-1128-4
                3096772
                21743767
                bcf4f125-4f07-4586-9ea3-7954e0192083
                © The Author(s) 2011
                History
                : 29 October 2010
                : 17 November 2010
                : 24 November 2010
                Categories
                Original Paper
                Custom metadata
                © Springer-Verlag 2011

                Ecology
                maternal behaviour,piglet survival,sows,litter size
                Ecology
                maternal behaviour, piglet survival, sows, litter size

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