SWINE MODEL HERD

Dr. Editha E. Cabilitazan, DVM

Resource Person
 Swine Model Herd
(Female)

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Copyright, 2001 © ITCPH, Lipa City, Philippines
HERD

•Animals (herd itself)

•Management
• Facilities
•achieve reproductive potential

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 FORMULA
Actual pigs per sow per year
= Litter Index x Weaned Piglets

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DECISION TREE
Reproductive Performance
PIGS WEANED/SOW/YEAR

PIGS WEANED/ LITTER / SOW /

LITTER YEAR

Born alive Pre-weaning lactation Gestation Non

per litter mortality period period productive
days

Total Born Entry to Weaning- Weaning-

born dead service Service Culling

Ovulation Embryonic Stillbirths Age 1st No. sows Farrowing rate

rate mortality mating introduce

Fertilization Mummified Death Culling Return to Abortions

rate fetuses rates rate service
interval

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Management to First Mating
Selection of replacement gilts

!From large litters - 10+ born alive

!From good milking, easy-farrowing sows
!Has 14 evenly-spaced, normal nipples
!Genetics preferred:
1/2 LR X 1/2 LW
!Health of source animals should
be matched with buyer’s animals

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Management to First Mating
Growth

!Selectbest gilts from identified

animals
!Vaccinate with parvovirus
!Separate and move to holding
area for gilts (Gilt Pool)
!30-day isolation time
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Management to First Mating
Stimulating 1st estrus (180-200 days, 5-9 mos.)

! Age to 1st estrus varies

with breed
! Methods of stimulation:
" use of boar
" stress
" environment w/ 16
hrs.
light & cool temp.
" confinement delays
puberty
" group size (8 sows or
less)
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Management to First Mating
Preparation for second estrus and mating

!Handling of animals
!Vaccinations “must” be repeated
!Flushing (3-5 kg/day or adlib feeding)
!Breed at second – third estrus (225
days or 7.5 months old) Or by WEIGHT
at 130-140kg
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Management to First Mating
Breeding Management
!70% conception during 1st service
!Do not cull rebreeds until 3rd estrus -
expect 60% conception
!Cull non-pregnant gilts after 3rd estrus
!Suggested breeding schedule
"Gilts - 12-hour interval
"Sows -2 matings at 18-24 hours interval

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Management to First Mating
Breeding Management

!Estrus cycle (18-24 days, ave. 21 days)

!Estrus (receptive period)
"length: 48-60 hrs.
"ovulation time: about the 38th hr.

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number of ova shed:
1st estrus = 8 to 10
2nd estrus = 12 to 14
3rd estrus = 15 to 20

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Management to First Mating
Breeding Management
!SIGNS OF ESTRUS
"reddened swollen vulva
"increased interest in
boars
"cloudy mucus at vulva
"immobile receptive
stance
"standing heat
receptive to boar and
back-pressure test
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Management to First Mating
Breeding Management

!FERTILIZATION
"optimum time: 6-8
hrs. before ovulation
"capacitation: 6-8
hours
"capacitated sperm
mass at utero-tubal
junction until
ovulation

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Management to First Mating
Breeding Management

!SEASONAL PROBLEMS
"delayed return to estrus
"reduced feed conversion
"abortions
"short duration of estrus

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Gestation
Nutrition

!15% CP content
!2 kgs feed/day -1st week to 30 days
after breeding
!last 2-3 weeks: 2.5-3.0 kgs/day
(Note: feeding regimen increases
survivability of fetuses and decreases
sow weight loss during lactation)
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Gestation

Vaccination

!Vaccination against baby pig

diseases - herd dependent

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Gestation
Management
!Heat check: 21 days post breeding (normal
returns is at 5%)
!Pregnancy check: 30-40 days post breeding
!Cull ‘not-in-pig’ sows
!Cull repeaters, except parity 1 females
"cull parity 1 females - after 2nd return to
service
"returning sows have 50% farrowing rate

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Gestation
Physiology
!Embryos leave oviduct 3-4 days
after fertilization

!Migration: 9-11 days (uneven

distribution causes pregnancy failure)

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! Around 10% ova lost due to defective
embryos
! At least 4 evenly distributed
embryos - required for pregnancy to
continue

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Farrowing
Housing

!Housing units - small for all-in-all-out

system
!Temperature
"sows: 18oC - 20oC
"piglets: 30oC - 32oC (nest
temperature)
!16 hours daylight - increases survival &
increases litter weight by 10%
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 Farrowing
Process

!Birth of the first piglet

!Interval: average of 15 minutes
!Total time varies with litter size
!Delivery of the placenta: 2-4 hours
after last piglet

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Farrowing
Problems
!Farrowing interval is longer than 1 hour
" uterine inertia
" obstruction "pelvis is too small
" prolapse
"filled bladder

"too large piglets

"malpresentation

"breech

vaginal prolapse "simultaneous piglets

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Farrowing
Post-farrowing complications

!Prolapse
!Hematoma
!Discharges

Irritation may cause further straining and

prolapse of other parts (1) uterus, (2) urinary
bladder (3) rectum
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Farrowing
Other complications

!Hyperthermia
!Anorexia
!Mummies
"1% of total litter, normal
!Stillbirths
"3-6% of total litter: normal; 80% of this occurs during
the last 1/3 of farrowing
!Toxemia: due to retained piglet, toxic mastitis

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 Swine Model Herd
(Male)

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Copyright, 2001 © ITCPH, Lipa City, Philippines
Management
!Boar use: AI
"1 senior boar : every 3-4 days
"1 junior boar : once a week

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Management
!Peak of production: 2 to 2 1/2 years of age
!Check for diseases - lameness:
"vaccinate for herd diseases
"test mate using older gilts
"leave older gilts with new boars for
disease exposure

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Nutrition

!Feeds: 2.5 - 3 kg/day

(3200 DE)
!Feed to condition
!Use lactation ration

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 Physiology
!Puberty: age when viable
spermatozoa appear
!Range: 4-9 months

!Factorsthat influence age at

puberty:
"genetics: white breeds mature
earlier
"social environment: isolation
delays puberty
"light - longer day lengths (15
hours) stimulate puberty

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 Physiology
! Spermatogenesis
" 35-45 days for sperm cell maturity
" fertility increases with age =
until 18 months
" young boars have more sperm
abnormalities = cytoplasmic
droplets

Transport: semen/sperm deposited in

the uterus (utero-tubal junction)
until ovulation

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Housing
!Open - must prevent temperature extremes
"hot: 34.5oC stops spermatogenesis - 42 days
recovery
"cold: frostbite - 42 days recovery
!Confinement
"either pen or stall
"wet dirty floors can cause discharge
problems

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 Fertility exams
!History - libido (mating: less than 20 mins.)
"conception rate, pregnancy rate, frequency of use,
mating system, illness, age, breed, season
!Physical - observe mating
!Semen fractions
"Pre-sperm: 5-15 ml clear fluid
"Sperm-rich fraction: 1st 1/2 of ejaculate with seminal
vesicle fluid
"Post-sperm: (tapioca) mostly prostatic fluid gel

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Fertility exams
!Semen evaluation
"volume
"concentration
"motility:
# microscopic wave pattern
# swirling motion: minor
# 70% motility (passing)

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 Fertility exams
"observe under coverslip & warm slide
"stained smear:
# H & E or eosine-nigrosin
# acceptable morphology
# 5% abnormal acrosome
# 5% abnormal heads
# 10% coiled tails
# 20% proximal droplets
# distal droplets
"fixed sperm: use buffered formal saline

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 Oink u po!!!

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That’s all DOCs!!!
Thank You!!

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