Reproduction

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.

Publish Date: October 7, 2015

This video outlines swine lactation, which is one of the most critical factors in the husbandry and health of both sows and piglets. The lactating sow or gilt is the sole source of neonatal piglet nutrition and immunity. Proper lactation is essential for providing baby piglets the ability to grow, thrive, and be successfully weaned. Several management and biological factors play a role in swine lactation. This video will: - describe basic lactational physiology - troubleshoot any issues that may occur during lactation - briefly detail milk collection from the sow

Publish Date: August 20, 2015

Don Levis, retired professor from the University of Nebraska, discusses the value and importance of the National Swine Reproduction Guide. He and a team of reproduction experts are working hard on the National Swine Reproduction Guide, which is being produced by the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence.

Publish Date: 20120702

At the present time, insemination doses are produced in boar studs and delivered to farms at regular intervals during the week. Typically, boar studs keep a test sample from each batch of extended semen which is evaluated daily. If the quality of the test sample decreases significantly, then the boar stud instructs farms to immediately…

Publish Date: 20120702

This report evaluates the economic costs of production and profits for energy-restricted and conventional gilt development programs. Production and performance data and input and output prices were used to construct enterprise budgets for both groups. Results indicate that restricting feed intake during gilt development lowered breakeven selling prices for market pigs by an average of…

Publish Date: 20120702

Most small and medium sized swine operations have a diversified farm; thus, they cannot devote total time and management to the swine enterprise. The use of hand-mating helps to increase reproductive performance of the sow herd. Hand-mating involves the placement of an individual estrous female in a small pen where she is mated to an…

Publish Date: 20120702

Gene expression of heat stressed oocytes matured in vitro was evaluated for potential markers which could be used to characterize the effects of heat stress on developing oocytes in the pig. Three heat stress scenarios were administered during in vitro oocyte maturation. Heat stressed oocytes had reduced maturation rates, decreased developmental competency, and altered expression…

Publish Date: 20120702

Pigs were exposed to heat stress (HS) and thermoneutral (TN) conditions in-utero. Post-weaning, they were exposed to acute heat-stress for a 24-hour period, and differences in physiological response between in-utero treatment groups were determined. Our results indicated that in-utero heat-stress had no effect on core body temperature; however the HS group had a larger cumulative…