Vergleichende Untersuchungen zur subpartalen Anwendung von Oxytocinpräparaten bei Sauen

Abstract. Title of the paper: Comparative investigations into the subpartal application of Oxytocin preparations in sows
A veterinary supervision and monitoring of the farrowing process was carried out on a weaner production unit comprising of 1,500 sow places with a weekly (7 day) batch farrowing system. Farrowing was recorded as being interrupted in 15.2 % of 1,975 farrowings as a result of inadequate contractions during labour and where the time-interval between the expulsion of consecutive piglets exceeded 40 minutes. 143 affected farrowing sows were allocated into three treatment groups and received an intramuscular injection of 20 I.U. Oxytocin (Group A, n = 44); 140 μg of the agent Carbetocin (contained in 2 ml of the long acting oxytocin preparation Depotocin^®; Group B, n = 47) and respectively 70 μg Carbetocin per sow (Group C, n = 52) to stimulate labour contractions. The oxytocin preparation was applied on average 148 minutes following the expulsion of the first piglet. On average 4.2 piglets had been born prior to this point in time. Following the injection of Carbetocin the time required for each piglet to be born, as well as the time to the completion of farrowing, were reduced significantly compared to Group A (p < 0.05) and there was a tendency for a reduction in the proportion of piglets born dead. The various treatments had no fundamental influence on the proportion of those requiring manual assistance at farrowing. The labour contraction inducing injection of 70 μg Carbetocin proved effective; this dosage rate is to be recommended for application during parturition in the pig.