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Pig Journal Volume: 62
Publication date: June 2009

Clinical Practice

LOW SOW REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE RELATED TO OESTRUS DETECTION AND TIMING OF INSEMINATION
G. CASSAR, R.M. FRIENDSHIP and R.N. KIRKWOOD

Abstract
A 700-sow herd experienced low farrowing rates over a 12 month period. Infectious reproductive disease, semen quality and insemination technique were ruled out as likely causes of the reduced fertility and so improper timing of insemination was investigated. One group of sows (n=102) received 600 IU eCG at weaning and 5 mg luteinising hormone (LH) 80 hours later to synchronise oestrus and ovulation, then inseminated once just prior to expected ovulation, at 36 hours after LH injection. Untreated sows returning to oestrus between four and seven days (n=102) after weaning were inseminated at oestrus detection and again 24 hours later. The treated group had pregnancy and farrowing rates that were generally acceptable by industry standards (89.2% and 86.1%, respectively), which were 16–17% higher than the untreated group (72.3% and 68.7%, respectively). The synchronisation technique was shown to be useful for indicating a problem with timing of insemination and in ruling out other causes of low fertility. The producer has since adopted the synchronisation protocol and his herd’s improved reproductive performance has been sustained.

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