How many days does a pig walk: signs of estrus, features and interesting facts

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

Many farmers breed pigs not only to provide themselves with food, but also for subsequent sale. However, for the most effective farming, it is necessary to have an idea of when the breeding season begins in animals. This will allow you to form the most suitable pairs to get a strong and he althy brood. Also in this article, we will look at the most important facts about sows that most beginner farmers have absolutely no idea about.

Main indicators of puberty

Let's take a closer look at this. Before we find out how many days a pig walks, let's first look at the signs that will determine puberty in animals. According to experts, representatives of this group of artiodactyls are ready for mating as early as 6 months. At this age, pigs are already completelyformed and ready to bear offspring. The onset of sexual desire can be judged by some behavioral changes.

In sows these are:

• deterioration or complete lack of appetite;
• hyperexcitability;
• periodic change of location;
• increase in size and change in color of the genitals (becomes more saturated);
• constant squealing.

Among the main features in males, the following can be distinguished:

• increased urge to urinate;
• constant grunting that doesn't stop for days;
• boar constantly rubs against surrounding objects;
• increased aggressiveness.

But how many days does a pig walk? The signs of heat listed above will allow you to determine the start of the breeding season. As for its duration, it all depends on many factors. More on this later.

Hunting dates

So we come to the answer to the question of how many days a pig walks. Important features that affect the duration of the hunt may be different, but the main one is the age of the animals. In young individuals, as a rule, this period lasts from 1.5 to 2 days, but in some cases it can increase to one week. As the female matures, her reproductive capabilities and the duration of sexual hunting decrease. The end of the mating can be guessed by the change in the behavior of the animal. It becomescalm and begins to ignore males. Also, all the signs and behavioral changes described above disappear completely.

How many days does a pig walk? The signs of heat in pigs, described above, will allow you to determine the beginning and end of the reproductive period. According to qualified specialists in the field of animal husbandry, most often the duration of the breeding period is two days, after which individuals return to their usual way of life. However, as mentioned earlier, it all depends on many factors that must be taken into account. Therefore, in order to be ready for mating, you need to look at the big picture, and not get hung up on individual factors.

At what age are animals ready to mate?

So what do you need to know about this? Many novice farmers are interested in the question of how to find out when a pig is walking. There are no single recommendations, since everything here depends on the specific breed of animal. As a rule, sows become ready for mating at the age of six months. However, such indicators are reliable only if she does not have any pathologies, diseases and developmental abnormalities. If there are any problems, full puberty may take longer.

However, experienced breeders who have been farming for more than one year say that the first mating is best done no earlier than 9 months. This is due to the fact that for a shorter periodthe animal simply does not have time to get stronger to give a good and he althy brood.

Unlike sows, boars become able to breed not earlier than 8 months of age, and their reproductive capabilities last up to 3 years. But here, too, the maturity of the animal, the characteristics of the particular breed, and the state of he alth are key determinants.

When does the rehunt start?

How many days does a pig walk after the previous mating? Regardless of the breed of animals, their sexual hunting is subject to cyclicity. The need for mating occurs every 21-22 days. If for some reason the sow did not let the boar near her, then in a few weeks the pig will show the main signs of sexual desire. However, here everything also depends on a number of factors, among which the most important are the age of animals, breed and conditions of detention.

In some cases, the female may start hunting again even in case of successful insemination. This is considered quite normal, since pigs, unlike other animals, are able to bear offspring of different ages. Therefore, several inseminations can occur in one mating with a small interval between each of them.

How to choose the right pair?

This aspect should be given special attention. You already know how many days a pig walks and by what signs you can determine the beginning of a period of sexual desire. But breeding successpets and the he alth of the young livestock depend on how well the sow has been selected. The selection process should take into account the following nuances:

• compliance of the animal with all the characteristics of a particular breed;
• good he alth and absence of any pathologies and diseases;
• optimal body weight and body condition;
• age.

It is also worth considering the number of offspring brought earlier and the quality of the offspring. If the piglets were weak and sickly, then it is better not to use such a female for breeding pigs. In order for the mating of the gilt during heat to be successful, the boar must also meet certain criteria. Among the most important nuances are the following:

• same breed as sow;
• good physical development;
• age not more than 3 years old;
• ideal size-to-weight ratio.

Specialists in the field of animal husbandry say that it is better to choose a male and a female from different farms. If they are blood relatives, then there is a high probability of giving birth to weak and defective offspring.

Coating methods

Today, farmers use various mating technologies. The main ones are two: purebred and interbreed. The first involves the use of a sow and a boar of the same breed for breeding, and the second - different. The clean method is more common, as it allows the maximum preservation of the characteristics of the breed, as well asit can significantly increase the fleshiness of animals. But here it is important to consider how many days the pig walks. It is undesirable to have several inseminations in one heat.

As for interbreed technology, its main goal is to achieve maximum performance and high parameters in future generations. It can be done using one of the following methods:

1. Absorption mating. Aimed at breeding new hybrid breeds with higher performance by mating low-yielding pigs with productive ones.
2. Reproductive mating. Crossing is carried out in stages and covers representatives of several generations. The advantage of this technology is that one breed combines the characteristics of several as a result.
3. Introductory crossing. Aimed at fixing and highlighting a certain parameter in pigs.

Mating methods also differ depending on the method of the procedure. This will be discussed in more detail later.

Hand-Mating

Involves mating in a separate room, equipped specifically for the implementation of these goals. The walls should not have sharp protrusions, and the floor is strewn with sawdust. For the entire period of sexual hunting, the sow and the male are left alone, protecting them from loud noise and any stressful situations. Within a few days, the boar is completely accustomed to his new mate, and they have sexual intercourse.

Double cage

This method is used by a huge number of farmers. It is based on mating in twostages with an interval of 12 hours between them. In this case, the probability of successful fertilization will be very high. Using this technology, it is also important to know how many days a pig walks in order to have time to spend two matings. Therefore, you must take into account the characteristics of a particular breed, the age of the boar and sow, as well as the individual characteristics of the habits of animals.

Artificial insemination

This technology is widely used on large farms where natural insemination is impossible or problematic due to various reasons due to the huge number of livestock. As the name suggests, direct insemination does not occur. The sow is injected with semen selected in special laboratories. Since the material is pre-treated and tested, the chance of successful insemination is equal to 100 percent, and the entire brood will be in good he alth and good characteristics.

Conclusion

Thus, having an idea of the duration of a pig's walk, as well as the basic mating methods, can significantly improve the efficiency of animal husbandry. However, the farmer should focus not only on the figures given, but also on the individual characteristics of each individual, since there are no uniform rules and recommendations in these matters. But if you stick to the basic breeding tips in this article, you will be able to consistently produce a large and he althy offspring.