Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.6/Sept-2013/13.pdf RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Artificial insemination in swine in an organized farm – A pilot study

Aim: To assess the reproductive performance and managemental advantages of Artificial Insemination of swine. Materials and Methods: Large White Yorkshire sows were grouped into two batches (10 each) for AI and natural mating. AI 9 group was given two inseminations with semen extended with Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS,3 x 10 spermatozoa per dose), at standing heat. Similarly, for natural mating group, triple mating was followed. The reproductive performance was studied after maintaining the sows under optimal managemental conditions. Results: The results indicated that AI and natural mating practices showed 100% conception rate. The litter size of AI group was 8.36±0.28 and that of the natural mating group was 10.6±0.64, that varied with high significance. The still birth rate was 0.7±0.26, which was significantly higher in natural mating group. The pre-weaning mortality was 4.34% and 7.5% for AI group and natural mating group respectively. The time consumed during mating per sow also varied highly significantly which was 11.46±0.47 minutes and 51.2±2.08 minutes for the AI group and natural mating group respectively. Conclusion: It was found that AI was found to be time and labor saving. The reduced litter size in AI group could be improved by ensuring that inseminations occur at an optimum time resulting in a high farrowing rate and litter size. AI can be successfully introduced in field conditions with some fine tuning.


Introduction
allow progressive purebred breeders and commercial producers to access the very best or most advanced Successful management of the breeding herd genetic material available from sires that rank in the top begins with successful breeding practices.Approximately 1% -2% of their respective breeds for economically 40% of the red meat consumed annually worldwide (94 important swine production traits.AI enables to million metric tons) is pig meat.Pig numbers (940 maintain sire selection intensity at a maximum level by million) and consumption have increased consistently using the very best sires available within individual with the increasing world population.The world breeds.However, in India, use of AI in swine as a production of swine meat in 2010 reached 101 million breeding technique is negligible.tons, with projection of 133 million for 2019 [1].To Hence a pilot study was made at livestock Research meet the increasing demand, artificial insemination Station, Kattupakkam to introduce AI in swine, to could play a major role in the reproduction area.
assess the reproductive performance and managemental In the past 50 years, research guided genetic advantages in order to introduce AI of swine in field selection and nutrition programs have had a major condition.impact on improving carcass composition and efficiency of production in swine.The use of artificial

insemination (AI) in Europe has also had a major
Artificial insemination versus natural mating: Twenty impact on pig improvement in the past 35 years and Large White Yorkshire (LWY) sows at second parity more recently in the USA [2].A variety of human and were grouped into two groups (n=10) to study their environmental factors, in addition to the sow's own performance by AI and natural mating.The LWY boars genetic potential, affect the efficiency with which sows were trained for semen collection using a dummy sow.are bred, and also affect subsequent farrowing success The semen was collected in a sterile beaker by filtering and litter size.AI is used in nearly all modern swine the jelly material and subjected to microscopical breeding herds, compared to hand or pen mating examination to assess the sperm motility and concensystems.AI offers economic advantages while tration by nigrosin-eosin staining.Fresh semen containing improving genetic makeup of offspring when used The sows with standing heat were detected and to store semen extended in buffers for up to a week near inseminated using the golden catheter in the presence room temperature [5].A semen extender should be of boar (Figure -1).Two inseminations were done for carefully selected according to its proposed use.In this each sow, one at standing heat followed by second study since the semen was used within 72 h, a shortinsemination 24 h later.Similarly natural triple mating term extender which is less expensive was used.BTS, probably the most widely used semen extender was allowed for sows on standing heat, 12 h and 24 h throughout the world, is characterized by containing a later.The sows were maintained at optimal managesmall amount of potassium.This feature preserves the mental conditions during the gestation period.
sodium potassium pump and thus avoids intracellular Statistical analysis: The reproductive parameters were potassium depletion which is related to reduced sperm recorded for both the AI and naturally mated sows to motility [6,7].assess their performance and the results were The site of semen deposition determines sperm statistically analyzed by Student's 't' test.
survivability, litter size and conception rate.The outer

Results and Discussion
(vaginal) end of the cervix is the normal site of semen deposition during natural mating and conventional AI.Artificial insemination was carried out in an Within 2.5 h of a conventional AI, approximately 70% organized farm as a pilot study to assess the reproduof the volume and 25% of the sperm inseminated are ctive performance of sows and their managemental lost as they flow back out of the sow's reproductive advantage over natural mating.The results were tract [8].The back flow is prevented by bending the tabulated in Table-1.
insemination catheter after insemination and allows it Artificial insemination versus natural mating: The to remain in the vagina for 5 minutes.Though intraresults indicated that AI and natural mating practices uterine inseminations may reduce the semen volume, showed 100% conception rate.The litter size of AI however, it needs more breeding technician skills and group was 8.36±0.28 and natural mating group was also may lead to post insemination bleeding [9,10].10.6±0.64 which was highly significant variation.The The significant increase in the litter size for the still birth rate was 0.7±0.26,which was significantly natural mating group could be due the availability of higher in natural mating group.Though the birth sperms to fertilize the ova at the optimum time [11].weight did not show any significant difference, the There was a significantly higher mortality rate during weaning weight varied highly significantly.The prefarrowing, which could be due improper blood supply weaning mortality was 4.34% and 7.5% for AI group to the fetus or could be due to space restriction in the and natural mating group, respectively.The time uterus.Though there was no significant difference in consumed during mating per sow also varied highly the birth weight, there was highly significant difference significantly which was 11.46±0.47minutes and in the weaning weight.The reason could be due to the 51.2±2.08 minutes for the AI group and natural mating presence of non-functional teats in the hind quarters or group respectively.The time is inclusive of bringing due to reduced milk yield or could be due to better birth the sows and boars to contact, reaction time for boars, weight.The pre-weaning mortality in the AI group was actual mating time and to lodge them in their sheds for 4.34% which was due to crushing mortality, whereas in natural mating group.For AI group the time includes the natural mating group, it was due to crushing semen collection time, semen processing time and mortality, colibacillosis, pneumonia and due to hypoinsemination time.The labor requirement per mating glycemia among weak piglets.It is crucial that diligence were 1 and 3 for AI group and natural mating group be given to managing and minimizing the chance of respectively.
extended semen playing an epidemiological role in the During the past decade, there has been a transmission of infectious disease like Brucella, Leptospira, Chlamydophia, Porcine Circo virus 2, tremendous increase in the use of AI by commercial classical swine fever, PRRS [12,13,14].More time was swine producers in the United States.In 1990, less than consumed for natural mating compared to AI. AI can be 7% of sows and gilts were bred by AI [4].The key to a time saver in piggery farms compared to hand widespread application of AI worldwide is the ability
with semen spiked with porcine circovirus type 2. Veterinary Pathology.46:707-716.Authors' contributions 15.Flowers, W.L. and Alhusen, H.D. (1992) Reproductive performance and estimates of labor requirements associated BSMR has planned the study and executed along with with combinations of artificial insemination and natural TPJ and PTG.TPJ has further contributed in statistical service in swine.Journal of Animal Science,70:615.analysis and manuscript preparation.TS has made this 16.Flowers, W.L. and Esbenshade, K.L. (1993) Optimizing management of natural and artificial matings in swine.study possible by providing support in organizing and ********