Danish Pig Research Centre: Annual Report 2010: AI Research & Development
Activities within AI research and development in Denmark in 2010 is outlined in the latest annual report from the Danish Pig Research Centre.

Improving Production Efficiency in a Competitive Industry
Three aspects of breeding herd management that can affect the bottom line of the pork industry and allow immediate savings in input costs will be summarised in a presentation by George Foxcroft, Jenny Patterson and Mike Dyck (Swine Reproduction-Development...

Reproductive Tract Reveals Answers to Good AI
Knowing the structure of the sow's reproductive tract can help improve the results with AI, according to the latest Producers for Profit newsletter from BPEX.

Keep It Calm in the AI Area
BPEX offers tips on the design and management of the artificial insemination area in the latest publication in its Two-Tonne Sow (2TS) campaign.

Kansas Swine Day 2010
Proceedings of the Kansas Swine Day 2010 conference, which focused on the nutrition and nursery pigs and finishers as well as feed management.

Bungee Serving
The use of the 'bungee system' can save up to four hours labour a week in a loose-housed serving environment, according to this Farm Case Study from BPEX.

Fertility and Prolificacy Following Ovulation Induction (by PG600 or hCG) and a Single Fixed-Time AI
An injection of PG600 or hCG (96 hours after the end of Matrix), induced ovulation and led to high fertility and prolificacy after a single fixed-time artificial insemination, report S. Ferchaud, P. Guillouet, H. Swarts, K. Pere and M.A. Driancourt of...

Successful Deep Intrauterine Insemination of Sows
The combination of the DIU catheter with a normal catheter within a double insemination procedure optimised conception rates (88 per cent) and the number of pigs born alive (12.1), according to research reported by Dr Elizabeth Magowan from Agri-Food...

Feeding Working Boars on a Commercial AI Stud
AI boars can be fed to a set feeding level to achieve targeted weight gains to influence longevity without affecting semen production and quality, reported R.C. Sulabo of the College of Veterinary Medicine of Kansas State University at Kansas Swine Day...

Quality Control of Extended Boar Semen
Dr Mario Baracaldo, DVM, and Jim Ward of Minitube Canada explained how boar studs monitor the extended semen doses produced and delivered to their customers at the London Swine Conference 2008.

Circovirus Present in Boar Semen
In a paper entitled Shedding of porcine circovirus type 2 by boars and the role of PCV-2 in semen transmission, Darin Madson and co-workers at the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State University found...

Multi-Sire, Multi-Mating - A Multitude of Sins
By Jane Jordan, ThePigSite Editor. In Denmark organic pork production is based on applying natural principles to animal husbandry techniques and management practices where and whenever possible. However, research at Aarhus University has shown that relying...

Managing the Sow and Gilt Estrous Cycle
By Jerry May, Extension Educator, Pork AoE Team and Ron Bates, State Swine Specialist, Michigan State University. At times, managers of sow farms of all sizes are challenged by the availability of sows and/or gilts in standing heat.

Summer Infertility - Part 2 of 4 - Hygiene, Strategy, Boars and Semen Storage
By PIC. PIC have produced a number of informative publications to help producers manage the incidence of summer infertility. Part 2 of this series looks at service hygiene, service strategy and semen storage.

Selecting Gilts for Lifetime Productivity
By Dr. Todd See, Swine Genetics Specialist, North Carolina State University. Simultaneous advances have been made in the number of pigs a sow can produce each year, predominantly due to management, and in lean (growth rate and percentage), predominantly...

Methods of AI delivery
By Dr Grant Walling, JSR Genetics - In the search to increase productivity for pig producers, various insemination technologies have been developed to improve fertility on farm.

All you ever wanted to know about boar semen.
By Meritxell Donadeu DVM, MSc - Veterinary Manager, PIC Western Europe - This article answers 30 questions on the main points of boar semen.

What the Commercial Pork Producer needs to know about Genetic Improvement
By Dr. Todd See, Swine Genetics Specialist, North Carolina State University - The Commercial Pork Producer’s role in genetics is generally to take the end result of a genetic improvement program and manage animals in a manner to maximize expression...

Semen volume and concentration: how much to use and does it matter?
By Dr Grant Walling and Dr André Maldjian, JSR Genetics - With new technologies for artificial insemination, a key question is often "What is the correct volume and concentration of a semen dose to achieve optimal performance?"

Number and timing of serve: how many and when?
By Dr Grant Walling and Dr André Maldjian, JSR Genetics. The timing of a service is probably the most critical parameter to achieve the best farrowing rates and litter sizes and success begins with a good knowledge of the herd.

Does absence make the heat grow stronger?
By Lucy Campbell, Animal Scientist, ACMC - If we are talking about ‘segregated service management’, then J.R. Behan and P.F. Watson would say “Yes�, as is detailed in their article ‘The effect of managed boar contact in the postweaning period...

Basic Pig Husbandry - The Boar
By Graeme Taylor and Greg Roese, Livestock Officers Pigs, Intensive Industries Development, Tamworth - This Primefact is one of five articles providing an overview of basic pig husbandry, covering boars, gilts and sows, the litter, weaners and grower...

Success with Batch Farrowing
By John Goss, PIC UK - This is the second of three articles by John Goss dedicated to the improvement of AI technique and results.