Swine AI now and in the future
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on May 9, 2017
There are plenty of opportunities available to reduce the number of insemination’s per heat cycle and the number of cells per dose. At the same time the sperm output per boar can be improved by managing the boars and the semen collection and processing professionally. Some systems in North America have chosen to use these opportunities. They pay extra for high index boars, have them screened for fertility by preforming a single sire insemination until the boar is evaluated for fertility. Then the PCAI technique is used to reduce the number of cells per dose and make even more use of the high indexed fertility boars.
In general this will require investment in people, people’s skills, boar housing, hygienic conditions in AI laboratories and improving heat detection and timing of insemination on farm level. As a consequence high quality insemination doses will cost more in the future, however that will easily be compensated with the added value per dose and it will benefit the profitability of the industry.
Swine AI Now and in the future