Breeding And Reproduction

Breeding And Reproduction

• The ideal boar recommended for breeding should be free from infection and should be of high genetic worth.
• Good nutritional management of boar helps in reaching sexual maturity by 8 to 9 months and gain 60 to 70 kg body weight which is ideal weight recommended for breeding purpose.
• The sows will come to heat every 16-20 days. There will be thick mucus discharge from vagina during the period of heat. This discharge seen for 2- 3 days after the onset of heat. There will be swelling of the external vagina and bloody discharge seen inside.
• The sows will cooperate for mating during this time and if mating takes place by using boar of high genetic worth after 2 days of the onset of oestrus, the chances of conception is higher.
• After mating, the boar should not be separated from sow. After confirmation of the pregnancy in sow, the breeding boar can be separated.
• If the sow is not in heat, the sows do not cooperate with mating instead they fight and bite and chase the sows.

Selection of breeding boar

• The selection is primarily based on the body weight, size and rate of growth.
• Breeding boar should reach sexual maturity earlier, should have a genetic potential to produce higher number of offsprings, higher metabolism of nutrients and higher meat quality producing traits.
• Such traits should have been inherited and in addition, it should be adaptable to the environment conditions.
• The boar should be free from genetic diseases and also from contagious diseases.
• The breeding boar should not be mated to related individuals (Brothers and Sisters) genetically to avoid inbreeding.

Selection of sow

• The growth of the sow should be in accordance of the age. It should reach 70 to 80 kg in 8 to 9 months.
• It should have a potential to produce higher litter size, possess quality of nursing the piglets, good mothering ability and protect offspring’s from the predators, free from genetic and contagious diseases and should not be mated to related individuals to avoid inbreeding to obtain healthy piglets.
• After confirmation of pregnancy, sows should be separated from the herd and fed with easily digestible energy rich feed. Pregnant animals should be taken care.
• Veterinarians should be consulted if any problems during the farrowing.

Management of Lactating sow and piglets

1. Sow at advanced stage of pregnancy (i.e. 90 days after conception) must be separated at 2 weeks before farrowing to farrowing shed. Paddy or Ragi straw should be used as a bedding material for comfort and to prevent physical injuries.
2. The farrowing shed need to have good ventilation, air flow and adequate light. The floor should be rough and sloping. There should be sufficient leg space. The sow should have all time access to food and water.
3. The farrowing pen should have farrowing guard fixed well in the ground at a distance of 10” distance from side wall and from the ground. This helps in easy farrowing of pregnant sows in providing support during resting on sides etc.
4. It basically helps prevent accidental lying of sows over the piglets. It has been estimated that over 25% of piglet mortality occurs due to accidental lying of sows over the piglets.
5. It is necessary to avoid predators like crows and other birds which can enter into shed and cause injury to piglets. It is hence necessary to provide mesh covering over the open area to prevent entry of crows, dogs, cats, rats etc., during farrowing period.
6. The newborn piglets are taken care by mother sows which clean them by licking. The piglet’s mucous membranes sticking to the body of piglets will get dried by itself.
7. During winter season it is better to clean the body, mouth and nostrils of piglets with a clean cloth to facilitate easy respiration.
8. Piglets quickly learn to suckle from udder. It is necessary to confirm that sows teats are having milk. Sometimes due to various reasons there may be a condition called Agalactia (e.g. MMA complex) with no milk in sows’ mammary glands. In such cases, it is necessary to induce lactation as well as some medications known to improve lactation and thereby prevent piglet mortality.
9. If the sows are suffering from Agalactia, the new born piglets must be shifted and foster nursed with care. The piglets must be smeared with mothers dung and other secretions so that it does not reject the new piglets as it may recognize that the piglets are not its own.
10. Some careful observation is necessary to prevent sow from biting or killing of new piglets during foster nursing. Usually, the sow accepts foster mothering during first week of farrowing.
11. Sows milk is rich in fat. Hence, it is difficult to feed piglets using cow milk. Buffalo milk can be fed to certain extent. Over feeding leads to diarrhoea and death of piglets. It is advised to feeding in small quantities in frequent durations.
12. Artificial milk using milk powders have been found to be beneficial as an alternative solution.
13. The piglets are prone for anaemia. This is because sows milk is poor in Iron and Copper. To prevent mortality due to piglet anaemia, it is necessary to inject Iron Sulphate to every piglets on day 1 or day 2 based on recommended dosage and to repeat again after 10 days.
14. It is also possible to smear the paste of Iron sulphate with jaggery water and smear to sows udder to facilitate piglet to consume along with sows milk. Oral feeding of commercial preparations of Iron sulphate is also recommended.

Improvement of Native/ Local Breeds

Breed improvement is an important way to obtain high yielding animals. The main purpose of breed improvement is to introduce a positive characteristic into a local breed.For example: by crossing an indigenous sow with an exotic boar, the offspring is likely to inherit the body shape and good growth rate from its father and the tolerance to environmental stress from its mother.

Artificial Insemination

Farmers keep pig mainly form eat purpose. There is lack of interest among farmers for pig rearing for breeding purpose mainly due to non- availability of breeding boar, high cost of breeding, non-availability of field methods for pregnancy diagnosis and lack of awareness among the farmers.

Technique of Artificial Insemination

Boar Training- Male piglets of superior pedigree are selected at weaning and kept in groups away from female animals. The finally selected boars are kept in isolation atleast 50 to100 feet away from female shed. Boar training is done in the morning hours before feeding. The young boars are introduced to the dummy and allowed to sniff and mount the dummy. Generally, the boar should start mounting the dummy within 15 days and start donating ejaculates within 20 to 25 days. The technique includes:

• Semen collection
• Semen evaluation
• Semen processing and preservation

Oestrus Detection and Insemination

• The goal of heat detection is to determine when the sow or gilt reaches standing heat. In gilts, the heat lasts for 40-48 hrs. Two inseminations during standing oestrus at an interval of 12 hr is the preferred strategy, however, in few sows a third insemination is also done if oestrus prolongs beyond 72 hrs.
• Gilts should be bred 12-24 hrs after heat is detected, and again 12 h later. Sows should be bred 24-36 h after detection of heat, and again 12h after the first insemination.
• The procedure of AI should be performed in neat and clean environment and taking into consideration all the sanitary measures. For AI, the tip of the catheter is lubricated with non-spermicidal gel and inserted into the vagina for passage into the cervix while rotating anti-clockwise.
• After locking of the catheter in the cervix, these men pouch is attached to the catheter and the semen is allowed to flow into the cervix using gravity and gentle pressure over 3-to4-minute period. The catheter is inserted at an angle of 30º to the backbone.
• Simultaneously rubbing the flank and underlying region stimulate the female to suck semen into the uterus. After complete deposition of the semen, catheter is gently withdrawn by simultaneously twisting it in a clockwise direction.

Advantages of Artificial Insemination

• It is the easiest way to improve the local germplasm in the shortest way with very low input costs.
• Artificial insemination is the better way to introduce superior genes into sow herds, with a minimal risk of disease which is quite high in natural mating.
• It helps in improving economic traits such as growth rate, higher feed conversion efficiency, carcass trait, mothering ability and litter size.
• Artificial insemination coupled with oestrus synchronization is very useful in planned and controlled breeding.
• Artificial insemination also helps in avoiding inbreeding due to repeated use of same boar in natural mating.
• It will also eliminate the need of keeping boar at every farm or household for breeding purpose which will lower the cost of production.
• AI helps in better maintenance of record at the farm.
• Semen from a single ejaculate can be used for breeding 10 to20 females. With the availability of long term extenders, AI in pig has been adopted on a wider scale.

Pregnancy Diagnosis method in Sow

• If animal does not show the signs of heat even 21 days after serving.
• Echo-scan pregnancy detection test 23-35 days after service.