Measures of Servicing Capacity of Boars and Their Effects on Subsequent Fertility in Artificially Inseminated Gilts

Abstract

Umesiobi, D.O. 2008. Measures of servicing capacity of boars and their effects on subsequent fertility in artificially inseminated gilts. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 34: 9–12.

Serving capacity (SC) was measured in twenty-four 8 month old Large White boars during two pen tests each of 60 min duration following five minutes of sexual restraint (SR) to evaluate servicing capacity of boars and their effects on subsequent fertility in artificially inseminated (AI) gilts. Two groups each of twelve boars, a high serving capacity group (HSC) of mean serving capacity 4.50±0.3 and a low serving capacity group (LSC) of mean serving capacity 2.50±0.5 in 60 min were formed. Reaction time, number of mounts, combats, head-kicks, anogenital sniffs, ejaculate volume, sperm motility, live sperm, sperm concentrations per ml, total sperm per ejaculate and acrosomal morphology improved with increasing levels of SC. Gilts inseminated with semen from HSC boars resulted in higher conception rate and farrowing rate with larger litter size. Thus ≥ 4.50 SC per 60 min duration following SR prior to semen collection and use is recommended for pig AI breeding programme.

Keywords:

• Servicing capacity
• sexual behaviour
• sperm viability
• boar
• gilt fertility