Artificial insemination in a commercial piggery

Abstract

Artificial insemination (AI) in a commercial piggery of 1,200 sows in Nakhon Pathom was carried out during February to December 1986. A total of 1,148 sows, ranging from gilts to parity 8, were inseminated using liquid semen diluted 1:1 or 1:3 with Kiev diluter. There was no effect of month found on sows’ reproductive performance. The overall farrowing rate was 87.8%, gestation period was 114.4 ± 2.0 days. The average at birth: total born, total born alive and body weight/piglet were 9.9 ± 2.6 piglets, 9.6 ± 2.5 piglets and 1.2 ± 0.1 kg respectively. The average at weaning : number of pigs and average body weight were 9.1 ± 1.1 and 5.9 ± 0.2 kg respectively while the average at weaning to estrus was 8.6 ± 3.8 days. Effects of parity, it was shown that parity I possessed the lowest farrowing rate (45.3%) which was significantly lower (p < 0.01) than the rest which ranged from 94.4 to 100.0%. The average of total born/litter tended to decrease at parity 8 or more (8.4) when comparing with previous parities (9.6 to 10.5). While for percentage of piglets born alive and the average of body weight per piglet, they were similar and ranged from 96.0 to 100.0% and 1.2 to 1.3 kg respectively. The average gestation period was 114.4 ± 2.0 days and was similar among different parities. Sows return to estrus at 21, 42 and 63 days after insemination were 10.2, 1.0 and 0.3% respectively with the overall was 11.6%. Sows with an average piglets of 10 tended to farrow prior to gestation period mean (114 days).