Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (12): 5987-5997.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.12.005

• REVIEW • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research Progress on the Second Litter Syndrome in Sows

SONG Jianpeng1,2,3, LIU Yan1,2, WEI Xia4, ZHANG Junxia3*, FENG Tao1,2*   

  1. 1. Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (IAHVM), Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), Beijing 100097, China;
    2. Joint Laboratory of Animal Science between IAHVM of BAAFS and Division of Agricultural Science and Natural Resource of Oklahoma State University, Beijing 100097, China;
    3. College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China;
    4. Beijing Ershang Meat Food Group Co., LTD., Beijing 101107, China
  • Received:2025-04-24 Published:2025-12-24

Abstract: Second litter syndrome (SLS) in sows is widespread worldwide. Sows with SLS have a lower litter size of the second parity than the first parity, the sows may have a lower estrus rate and a high culling rate, which waste the reproductive performance of low-parity sows, and the lifelong reproductive performance of sows with SLS is relatively reduced, while the breeding cost increases accordingly. In this paper, the causes and mechanisms of the formation of SLS are systematically reviewed, and targeted prevention and treatment measures are also put forward, so as to provide theoretical basis and technical support for the stable development of sow reproductive performance, as well as the stable and healthy development of pig industry. Exploring the occurrence mechanism of SLS in different pig farms supplies scientific research approach to deal with SLS, and to avoid the negative effect of SLS on reproductive performance in the subsequent parity. Precise feeding, nutritional regulation, and drugs research and development in reproductive regulation and their reasonable utilization will be the key points to solve the second litter syndrome.

Key words: second litter syndrome, sow, effect, mechanism

CLC Number: