Artificial insemination of pigs: methods, technologies, sow preparation

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The question of how to carry out artificial insemination of pigs at home is mainly of concern to large entrepreneurs who contain from several tens to hundreds of heads. This method allows you to get a rich offspring, however, in order to achieve a good result, you will need to carefully study all the theoretical information and find out even the smallest nuances. Only after that you can start the process of artificial insemination.

Feature of pig insemination

If you want to increase the productivity of your farm, then it is best to resort to artificial insemination of animals at home. This process eliminates most of the major problems that are associated with the natural method of fertilization. For example, a male individual is able to fertilize about 500 females in one year, while all the genetic qualities of a boar are transmitted to the offspring. However, such an event is unlikely to be carried out on a large farm. Therefore, most farmlands prefer to use artificial insemination of sows.

Pigs are fertilized by inserting a special tube into the female's vagina, which delivers pre-prepared boar semen into the uterus. It is also recommended to check the female for hunting in advance, since the success of fertilization will depend on this. It is quite easy to find out by the behavior of the animal. In general, the process of artificial insemination of pigs is not difficult, so anyone can handle it. Even if you are not the owner of a large farm, this does not mean at all that you have to spend precious time mating a boar and a sow. If you wish, you can buy inexpensive equipment and inseminate yourself.

Benefits of artificial insemination

Artificial insemination of animals began to be used back in 1930. This method has not lost its relevance in our time. Today, most experienced farmers prefer to artificially inseminate livestock. This trend has not just happened. Insemination of pigs with special equipment has several advantages compared to natural mating:

• relatively small amount of sperm required for conception;
• biological material of high concentration is stored for a long time;
• there is a possibility of transportationseminal fluid over long distances;
• the likelihood of infecting the uterus with STDs is reduced to almost a minimum;
• animal cannot refuse artificial insemination;
• you can plan the pregnancy of the pig in the way that is convenient for the farmer;
• No chance of injury during insemination.

As you can see, there are quite a few advantages that make most farmers choose to use artificial insemination. However, do not forget that in order to implement such an event, you will need to purchase a special pig inseminator, without which it will be simply impossible to fertilize a pig. Such a device is relatively inexpensive, but it would be wrong not to mention the need to purchase it.

What else does a farmer need to know?

Did you decide to carry out artificial insemination of pigs in your farm? To begin with, you will have to choose one of several methods of fertilization. For example, dilute seminal fluid or fractions can be used. It is worth noting that the differences between the options are only in the method of introducing sperm into the vagina. Large enterprises often use both of these methods.

Whatever method you choose, it is imperative to follow basic sanitary standards so as not to infect the sow. To do this, you must follow the rules and regulations that are prescribed in the instructions for the catheter. If the pig does not fertilize the first time, then you can useseminal fluid obtained from another boar. If the re-conception again turned out to be unsuccessful, then you will have to resort to the help of a veterinarian.

Diluted liquid insemination

As mentioned earlier, for artificial insemination of pigs, dilute seminal fluid can be used, which contains from four to five billion active spermatozoa (there are about 10 billion in the original sample). Such a liquid is injected in an amount of 150 milliliters, but it is best to use the following calculation: 1 milliliter of sperm per 1 kilogram of live weight. As for the device intended for artificial insemination, it consists of two rubber tubes and a special plastic container for seminal fluid.

The temperature of seminal fluid at the time of insertion into the vagina should not be below 30 degrees Celsius. All appliances must be disinfected and dried thoroughly in advance. After the seminal fluid is placed in a glass or plastic tank, you can begin the process of introducing sperm. As soon as the tube rests against the uterine walls, the vial will rise and the seed will fall inside. If the farmer uses a device for the introduction with a glass container, then a special aerogenic supercharger is used for the introduction, which, with the help of air, delivers the boar's semen inside. Typically, this method of fertilization takes a person from three to seven minutes.

Fractional insemination method

Insemination of pigs in a fractional way impliesthe use of a special diluent, which is necessary to create a comfortable environment for spermatozoa. This method of insemination is carried out in several stages. To begin with, diluted seminal fluid in the amount of 100 milliliters is introduced into the vagina. After that, a special solution is introduced into the uterus, consisting of distilled water, s alt and glucose. When the second portion is introduced, the fertilization process can be considered complete.

In order for artificial insemination to be successful, it is necessary to use a special thermostatic device, which has a small heater with a tank in its design. Also, such a device contains a container for seminal and fractional fluid, two tubes and an air filter designed to introduce sperm into the uterus. To increase the chance of conception in the pig, professional farmers recommend shaking the vials of purchased semen before use.

Sperm collection from a boar

Thought about how much boar sperm costs? As a rule, the answer to this question will depend on the breed of the animal, as well as its genetic characteristics. The younger and he althier the boar looks, the more money the farmer will have to pay for the purchase of seminal fluid. If there is a male on your farm, then sperm can be collected on your own, having equipped the room with a special stuffed animal and good lighting in advance. After that, you will only need to follow the algorithm of actions described below.

1. We fix the stuffed boar at the level of the male and place a rubber mat behind it, which will prevent the boar's legs from sliding on the floor.
2. We fix a special rubber hole in the scarecrow that imitates the sow's vagina (it should be warm and moist).
3. We close the hole in the upper part with some kind of film, pulling it off with a rubber ring, after which we launch the male.
4. We direct the boar's penis into the hole and make progressive movements for stimulation.

After that, it remains only to wrap your fingers around the end of the boar's penis and wait for the results. As soon as you see that the ejaculation process has taken place, we direct the boar's penis into the liquid intake container and wait until all the semen is released. Of course, this process should be carried out in compliance with sanitary standards, so gloves and protective clothing must be worn. In addition, the stimulation of the penis must be carried out in such a way as not to harm the he alth of the boar.

Pig Choice

Any artificial insemination operator will tell you that not every female is suitable for insemination. First, the female must reach puberty, which is four to five months old. However, a pig will be able to bear offspring only at the age of nine months. The period of hunting in a sexually mature pig begins every 18-20 days. It is at this time that artificial insemination should be carried out.

When choosing a female, you should pay attention tothe following signs of hunting:

1. The animal becomes much more mobile than during the normal period, begins to behave much more aggressively, cannot sit still for a long time.
2. The genitals of pigs swell and turn red, and specific discharge also appears.
3. If you press the spine of a pig, it will make strong squeals and arch its back - such actions are typical only during the hunting period.
4. Try to let a male sow in. Even if the male remains motionless, the female will be extremely aggressive towards him.

If you decide to artificially inseminate pigs, then you will have to examine the females daily at every morning and evening feeding. Individuals ready for pregnancy very often keep aloof from their fellow tribesmen, so it will not be difficult to notice them. However, before introducing boar semen into the sow, the selected animal must first be prepared for this process.

Preparing the sow

Don't know how to prepare a sow for artificial insemination? The information in this section will help you understand this in more detail. The most important thing in this case is to adhere to certain sanitary standards. If some kind of infection gets inside the pig's genitals, this can lead to the birth of sick or even dead cubs. In addition, genital infections also adversely affect the he alth of the sow herself, so you should rinse the vagina well with warm water in advance, and also process all equipment.furatsilina solution, then wipe the tubes dry with a clean cloth.

Before the introduction of sperm, it is imperative to excite the pig. To do this, stroke it on the sides, but in no case touch the back, otherwise the animal will begin to behave extremely aggressively. Stimulation of the sow's genitals increases the level of oxytocin, a special hormone that helps the reproductive organs to more efficiently take the boar's seminal fluid. The entire process of arousing the pig should last between 3 and 6 minutes.

Recommendations from experienced breeders

Many inexperienced farmers turn to artificial insemination stations because, due to lack of proper skills, they can inseminate in such a way that conception does not occur. To minimize the factor of such an error, it is recommended to follow the advice from professional breeders, which we have collected especially for our readers from various thematic forums.

1. Check the genitals of the pig before insemination. If mucus is secreted from them, and the vagina can be stretched with a finger a few centimeters, then the sow is ready for insemination.
2. Only one catheter is allowed per individual. Many novice breeders replace the plastic tank and tube with various tools at hand - this is not necessary.
3. Semen collection should only be carried out from a strong and he althy boar. If it happens that a pig becomes pregnant from a sick individual, thenthere is a high probability that the cubs will be born underdeveloped.

Also, many novice breeders are interested in the question of how much boar sperm costs. We want to draw your attention to the fact that the price can vary greatly, since buyers can drop the price a lot, and the seller can overestimate it. The final cost will be known only when making a deal with the breeder.

Video and conclusion

We hope you now have a better understanding of what the process of artificial insemination of a pig is. If the information from our article seemed to you not enough or you still have some questions about this process, then we recommend that you watch a short video. In it, any novice breeder will be able to find many useful nuances for himself.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in the process of artificial insemination. It will be enough to purchase fairly inexpensive equipment and good quality seminal fluid, and then follow the recommendations that were given in our article. If you do everything right, the piglets will be born he althy and strong, just like their father.