Kara Stewart Purdue University

Publish Date: June 22, 2017

Dystocia, difficulty farrowing, is a common issue in the swine industry. If piglets are not removed from the reproductive tract of the sow in a safe, timely manner, the piglets could suffer from asphyxiation and die. It may also cause a pile up of piglets, and if not taken care of quickly, could greatly increase the number of still births in the litter. This video will discuss, and demonstrate piglet orientation during farrowing and proper techniques for pulling piglets that get stuck at the pelvis of the sow.

Publish Date: June 15, 2017

Accurate pregnancy diagnosis is a key component of reproductive efficiency in the swine industry. By accurately determining pregnancy, producers can efficiently cull or re-breed sows/gilts in the herd, minimizing nonproductive days. The objectives of this video are to discuss, describe and demonstrate pregnancy diagnosis via two ultrasonography methods. These two methods utilize different forms of ultrasonography using auditory and visual cues for determination of pregnancy.

Publish Date: September 23, 2015

The objectives of this video are to: 1) describe and demonstrate the process of semen collection from boars, 2) describe and demonstrate various methods to improve hygiene during the collection process, and 3) describe characteristics of semen at collection which would be considered normal. this video will demonstrate the two-glove technique for collecting semen as well as describe and show normal ejaculate characteristics that each technician should be aware of during collecting.