Effect of incidents associated to post-cervical artificial insemination on reproductive perfor¬mance of sows

Abstract

Different issues associated to post-cervical artificial insemination (PCAI) in sows such as bleeding, suppuration, or semen backflow and their impact on the farm reproductive parameters were evaluated. PCAI of 1991 Large White × Landrace multiparous sows were realised in a commercial pig farm in Tauste (Zaragoza, Spain). The parameters studied were: the cycle of the sow (parity); need to perform three or more inseminations per cycle; presence of bleeding or suppurations after insemination, semen backflow; abortions; farrowing rate; returns on heat, total alive, dead and weaned piglets per litter. The results showed that the cycle of the sow was significantly associated with the need to perform three or more inseminations per cycle, a lower farrowing rate, more abortions, lower number of total, alive and weaned born piglets per litter. Furthermore, bleeding was related to a lower total and alive born piglets per litter as well as to the sow cycle number.

Keywords

• farm economic performance
• post-cervical insemination
• predictive factors
• reproductive parameters
• sows