Pork Insight Articles

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Author(s): A. Minton, A. Johnson, T. Werner, E. Triemert, N. Holden, G. Foxcroft, J. Patterson and M. Dyck
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Reference: Advances in Pork Production, Volume 24, 2013
Country: Canada

Summary:

The swine industry typically uses pooled semen for breeding, which could result in fewer progeny from elite boars and other boars could waste resources, yet never sire any progeny. Single sire matings and reduced semen concentrations are being used to evaluate boars in a two phase trial. Phase 1 had each boar bred with 50 sows through AI, and then evaluated by pregnancy and farrowing rate, total born, and total alive. Phase 2 used post-cervical AI, with the same sperm concentration and evaluation. The lowest performing boars were culled before phase 2: a total of 43% of boars were culled, and 10% were culled for fertility reasons.  The boars showed a lot of variability in fertility with pregnancy rates ranging from 37-100%, and total born having a difference of 8.2. Using fewer boars with a greater average index for breeding results in a value increase of $0.35/pig in the trial. However, lower fertility boars do not necessarily have the lowest quality genetics, so removing low fertility boars does not guarantee an increase in index. As well, the use of pooled semen is thought to create variability, and reflect the average boar. Single boar matings could be negative if low performing boars are not identified and removed. Single sire doses cost $0.10/dose more than pooled, but there would be some savings when considered by pigs born alive, and removing stud costs. Although removing subfertile boars could provide an initial index increase, companies with the top 15% index would likely not see an increase by using single boar doses. Single boar matings can be used to remove low performing boars, but the overall economic and genetic benefit is not certain by doing so on a large scale.

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