How does mating of pigs take place?

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

Cultivation of farm animals can bring sufficient profit only if all the rules and norms of their keeping and breeding are observed. With regard to livestock breeding, only females specially selected for this purpose produce high-quality offspring. This article will help you navigate this issue.

Classification of individuals

In the classical pig population, adults and piglets are distinguished by several characteristics. So piglets are divided into suckers and weaners. The former are fed naturally by the sow, while the latter are already fed on their own.

Adults are divided into:

• boars;
• sows;
• finishers;
• repair pigs.

Fattening individuals are grown for meat, and replacements - to replace the current reproductive offspring. The boar is usually kept alone, but there can be several sows. The mating of pigs is carried out only between sexually mature individuals. Boars can be used for this longer than sows, whose breeding qualities deteriorate markedly after five years of gestation and rearing piglets.

Boar selection

In order for the mating of pigs to be as productive as possible, you should approach the choice of individuals very carefully. As for boars, the main indicator of their breeding qualities is the sexual activity of the male and the quality of his sperm. The latter, as a rule, is determined by the usual ratio of impregnated females to the number of covered ones.

Sow selection

The choice of mother for future offspring must be approached more seriously. The main quality indicator of a sow is her fertility. But you won't be able to check it the first time.

It is expressed in:

• number of live piglets in a litter;
• medium weight piglets;
• amount of milk when feeding;
• number of surviving piglets by day 30.

Indirect indicators of fertility include the time interval between farrowing and the next estrus. The faster the mating time of pigs after farrowing, the more prolific the sow is considered.

The choice of the best individual for breeding offspring is also affected by:

• number of idle matings;
• number of nipples;
• nipple quality.

Since it has already been proven that the fertility of pigs is influenced to a greater extent by growth conditions, and not by heredity, potential sows are selected from the age of two months. At this point, a good piglet should weigh at least 18 kg and, starting at four months of age, gain weight daily byhalf a kilo.

The number of pig teats directly affects its ability to feed he althy offspring, so the optimal number is 14. This is due to the fact that often the number of people asked for in a litter is 12-16 individuals, and this number of teats is enough for them to feed themselves and get from the mother necessary further immunity.

Achieving puberty

Under favorable conditions, the mating age of pigs is reached by the deadline. For boars, this moment ranges from 5 to 8 months with a weight of 80-120 kg. Pigs that are poorly or undernourished reach puberty much later. A sow for breeding offspring should have a wide back, weight within 120 kg and an age of 10 months. It is important to know that puberty and hunting occur in females much earlier, but it is not worth it to happen before the age of 10 months, as this will negatively affect the offspring. Delaying the first mating will also have a negative effect, so you should not delay it. The main thing is that the pig can raise piglets on its own, you need to choose calm individuals for this.

It is also important to understand that the first mating of pigs is not able to reveal their full reproductive potential, so it is not worth drawing conclusions about fertility from the first litter.

Mating time

The case of Vietnamese pigs is no different from other breeds. To obtain high-quality offspring, you should purchase a sexually mature pair of individuals with decent fertility qualities. You can grow your own if you want.a good female and, when she reaches the age of ten months, find a fertile boar in other farms or inseminate the pig artificially. In any case, it is important to correctly determine the moment of the onset of estrus in the female, since at other times she can cripple the boar upon meeting.

To accurately determine the onset of hunting, you need to observe the behavior of the pig every day, which will change at some point. Usually the female becomes more active, her loop swells and secretes mucus. If the behavior of the pig does not change, you can determine its readiness for breeding by pressing both hands on the croup. At this point, the pig should freeze.

Preparing for mating

This process consists in digging the so-called pig's nest, but if the boar is experienced, then just leaving the couple together for a day is enough, and nature itself will do everything necessary.

The mating of pigs also depends on the appropriate size of the pair. If the boar is too big, then the female simply cannot stand it, and if it is too small, then nothing will work.

Rough

If the female does not want to mate for a long period of time, you should pay attention to the following factors. First of all, this is the physical condition of the sow herself. Reluctance to mate may be due to age, hormone deficiency, genetic predisposition, or he alth problems. Important factors are also the conditions of detention and nutrition of the individual. The mating of pigs occurs with a noticeablean increase in the mortality of piglets with an increase in air temperature of more than 28 degrees, that is, in the summer. That is why the fertility of females sometimes falls in the hot season.

Also, the reasons can be determined by the timing of the next hunt after mating. If the pig begins to express a desire to mate after three weeks, then fertilization has not occurred, and the reasons for the pro-holing are insufficient indicators of the fertility of the boar or sow. In the event of a hunt after a while, the mating of pigs after farrowing, most likely, resulted in the death of the embryos. This may be due to various infectious diseases or hormonal disorders. Also, moderate fatness affects the high-quality bearing of offspring and its conception. The sow must not be malnourished or overfed. It is also important to maintain a sufficient period after a difficult birth and provide the pigs with enough space in the pigsty. It is best to allocate a separate place for a lactating pig and piglets.

Determining the result

In the case of mating pigs, the result can be determined by the following signs. First of all, this is the sluggish behavior of the female, which lies and eats more. A few days after a favorable mating, the pigs develop curdled discharge from the loop. Some advise using a regular pharmacy pregnancy test to accurately determine the result, but only ultrasound can determine the most accurate result.

Feeding piglets

Favorable mating of bellied pigs is not yet marked by complete success, as well as for other breeds. Newborn piglets still need to be fed, and some sows do not produce enough milk to feed the young. Insufficient lactation of the sow directly depends on the quality of her nutrition. The feed must be complete and nutritious, and drinking water for a lactating pig must be clean. It is advisable to change the water every 3-4 hours.

It is important to provide the sow with more than just clean water, it must be freely available in sufficient quantities. Usually, for full lactation, the female needs to consume 2-3 buckets of clean water per day. If all this is normal, then it is advisable to seek help from a veterinarian who will examine the sow. This is necessary to exclude possible problems with inflammation of the mammary glands - mastitis, metritis, and so on.

There are times when a female simply does not allow her piglets to feed, which is also a reason to contact the veterinarian and examine the piglets. They are sometimes born with crooked teeth and may bite on the nipples during feeding, which can be very traumatic for the sow.

In any case, further rearing of the offspring falls on the shoulders of the breeder. You can use infant formula or cow's milk for this. If possible, piglets should be placed with another lactating sow, because there is nothing better than natural feeding.