Key Technical Points and Precautions for Sow Mating Management
Sows are indispensable in pig farming, and the proportion of sows is crucial when raising pigs. It directly affects the size of the pig herd and the economic benefits. Therefore, when raising pigs, the management of sows is very important. Especially during mating, the mating work of sows determines their productivity. So how should sows be managed during mating? Below, the editor brings you the sow mating management techniques. Let's take a look!
1. Observing Estrus
When sows are in the early stage of reaching sexual maturity, the timing of the first three estruses is irregular. Usually, it only gradually becomes regular starting from the fourth time. After a sow comes into estrus, she will be restless and have a noticeably poor appetite. And when sleeping, she will also produce grunting sounds different from usual. Observing the sow's vulva, you will find that the color gradually darkens, there is swelling, and some fluid is also secreted. Finally, when a sow is in estrus, she is very sensitive to boars. If there is a boar nearby, you can see with the naked eye that the sow trembles and fixes her gaze on the boar.
2. Boar Selection
When mating, the selection of the boar is also very important. When selecting a boar, choose one with normal growth and development, a body weight of about 120 kg, a good constitution, high semen quality, fast growth rate and high feed conversion rate. The quality of the boar is closely related to the mating success rate and the growth ability of the piglets. Be sure to choose a purebred boar as the mating sire, and do not choose from a crossbred population. Otherwise, it will reduce the quality of the piglets and affect the breeding benefits. One thing to note is to avoid choosing a boar that is related by blood to the sow, so as to prevent inbreeding.
3. Mating Time
After the sow is in estrus and the boar has been selected, it is time to mate at the right moment. The mating time is also very critical for sow production. Usually, a sow will ovulate within 36 hours after estrus. However, the fertilizable time of the egg is only about 10 hours, and it takes about 3 hours for sperm to travel from the boar's reproductive tract to the oviduct. Therefore, we should reasonably control the mating time of the sow based on these time data. Usually, the optimal mating time for a sow should be within 20-30 hours after the sow comes into estrus.
4. Precautions
During mating, the sow's appetite will decline somewhat, so attention should be paid to appropriately reducing the feeding amount. If fed too much, it will raise the temperature inside the sow's uterus. This leads to a decrease in the survival rate of fertilized eggs and reduces the number of piglets born. It will also waste too much feed and increase breeding costs. Also pay attention to the mating time of sows mating for the first time, which should be chosen at the third estrus. If the mating time is too early, various adverse phenomena such as stillbirth and miscarriage are likely to occur, reducing the growth ability of piglets and resulting in insufficient breeding benefits.
The above is a brief introduction to sow mating management techniques. The mating management of sows is very important. If management is poor, the impact on them is very great, so everyone must pay more attention. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!