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Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
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AI Management to Optimize Sow Productivity
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on June 29, 2018
Author: Dyck M.K., Diether N.E., Patterson J.L., Foxcroft G.R.
Reference: Banff Pork Seminar 2018 Proceedings
Summary: Due to the widespread use of AI technology, boar quality can impact the reproductive performance of many females. The ideal measures for boar semen quality are pregnancy rate and litter size born, both retrospective measures. As a proactive measure, physical evaluation of the boar’s semen is complete that examines the concentration, morphology and motility. In addition, the large numbers of semen and semen pooling from multiple boars hides the limited fertility of some boars.
According to Rodriguez-Martinez (2003), in order to accurately predict the quality of the semen it is necessary that they are tested for all of the key attributes. Conventional evaluation of ejaculate measures seminal volume, sperm concentration and the percentage of progressively motile and morphologically normal sperm. These are important characteristics, however they do not define fertility in boars.
Chromosome abnormalities have recently become a factor in boar fertility, Quach et al. (2016) assessed the consequences of chromosome abnormalities. The chromosome abnormalities appeared at a frequency of 12 out of 732 boars consistently displaying lower fertility values.
Post Cervical AI (PCAI) is an advanced AI technique that allows for the number of sperm used per AI dose to be reduced with out impairing fertility.
When considering new AI technologies in combination of a more through evaluation of boar fertility there are potential economic benefits for the swine industry. Low producing, infertile boars would be able to be eliminated early on.
AI Management to Optimize Sow Productivity