MASTERING BREEDING IN AN ERA OF NEW TECHNOLOGY

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on May 10, 2017

A number of new artificial insemination (AI) technologies have recently become available to swine producers, such as post-cervical AI (PCAI) and fixed-time AI (FTAI). With PCAI, semen is deposited just inside the uterus, requiring fewer sperm cells, and less time for breeding, than traditional intracervical AI. A new product released for commercial use in weaned sows (OvuGel; JBS United Animal Health, Sheridan, IN, USA) induces ovulation. The compound is administered 96 hours post-weaning, and a single, FTAI is performed approximately 22 hours later. Thus, the number of semen doses used for AI is decreased and labour associated with detection of estrus can be eliminated. Acceptable fertility outcomes from PCAI and FTAI have been demonstrated in large scale studies under commercial conditions. Meanwhile, advances have been made in the cryopreservation of boar sperm cells and use of frozen semen, perhaps in conjunction with PCAI and/or FTAI.

These new and exciting reproductive technologies are becoming available to commercial pork producers and offer great potential for dramatically increasing reproductive efficiency. For this potential to be realized, however, breeding females must be selected and managed to exhibit a high level of lifetime productivity. New production systems and management protocols are a wise investment and the improved breeding herd performance that results is illustrated by work reported by Patterson et al. (2016) and Foxcroft and Patterson (2016). Various benchmarks of excellent gilt performance exist, such as first service farrowing rates of > 80% and litter sizes of > 12.5 total born pigs.

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