The influence of azaperone treatment at weaning on reproductive performance of sows: altering effects of season and parity

Azaperone treatment can control aggression and decrease stress due to weaning, re-grouping and hierarchical fighting of gilts and sows. However, the effects of this butyrophenone neuroleptic and sedative administered at weaning on pig reproductive function are poorly characterized. In this year-long study, a total of 619 cross-bred sows (Polish Large WhitexPolish Landrace) kept on a commercial farm received an i.m. injection of azaperone (Stresnil((R)); 2 mg/kg BW) just before weaning and were artificially inseminated during the ensuing estrus with 3x10(9) spermatozoa per dose of an inseminate; 1180 sows served as untreated controls. Immediately after weaning, the sows were moved to four pens of seven to nine animals each. A teaser boar was used twice daily to check for estrus and sows were bred at heat detection. Subsequently, all sows stayed in individual stalls until pregnancy testing on day 30 post-artificial insemination and were then re-grouped until farrowing. The proportion of pigs that were in estrus within 6 days post-weaning was significantly lower in azaperone-treated groups of animals than in controls (71.4% v. 84.2%). Overall, the azaperone-treated sows had a significantly longer weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI; 8.7 +/- 10.1 v. 6.3 +/- 8.1 days; mean +/- SD) and a significantly larger litter size (LS: 11.8 +/- 3.0 v.11.3 +/- 3.2; azaperone-treated v. control sows). Treatment of the winter-farrowing sows was associated with increased LS (12.8 +/- 2.6 and 11.3 +/- 3.1 piglets/sow, respectively; P<0.05) and longer (P<0.05) weaning-to-effective-service intervals (11.7 +/- 19.3 and 8.4 +/- 12.3 days, respectively) as well as farrowing intervals (155.7 +/- 19.7 and 152.2 +/- 16.1 days, respectively) compared with untreated controls. In the summer months, significantly longer WEIs (12.1 +/- 21.0 v. 8.4 +/- 16.9 days) were accompanied by a significant decline in LS only in azaperone-treated sows that were inseminated within 6 days post-weaning (10.8 +/- 2.9 v. 11.5 +/- 3.3 piglets/sow; azaperone-treated v. controls). Azaperone-treated second parity sows had greater LS (P<0.001) along with prolonged WEIs (P<0.05) in comparison to their respective controls, regardless of the timing of estrus. An application of azaperone at weaning increased the annual piglet productivity of winter-farrowing animals and of second parity sows but depressed it significantly in summer. The extra cost and labor due to delayed onset of estrus may cancel out any reproductive benefits of azaperone treatment.