This study aimedto identify some performance parameters associated with the farrowing efficiencyin sows. From a total of 636 births and 7,100 piglets born, data was collectedfor: parity (OP), number of piglets born alive (NV), stillborns (NAT), mummified(MUM), total litter size (TN), use of vaginal palpation and oxytocin injection,time of birth for each piglet, and beginning and end of the parturition. Theaverage interval among piglets birth was 16.7 min and the average duration ofparturition was 247 min. The average duration of parturition increased regardedto the number of born piglets, the use of oxytocin and with the ocurence ofvaginal palpation. The total number of births in the long parturitions (>211 min), with 13.1 piglets was higher than in the short parturitions (<210 min), with 11.7 piglets, therefore, the higher the number of total pigletsborn, the longer is the duration of parturition. Litter size was higher forsows of the second parity (12.8) than for sows of first parity (11.9). The durationof parturition is affected by the number of piglets born, which is higher insecond parity than first parity females and it is associated to the higher occurenceof stillbirths and mummified piglets.
