Abstracts - Genetics and reproduction

Heritability estimates for all studied traits suggest they could be suitable as a method of phenotyping aggression and fear/boldness for genetic selection purposes.

Group housing gestating sows 2 days after breeding compromised litter size; however, mixing gilts on days 1 to 4 after breeding did not impair reproductive performance.

Lameness may decrease sow gestation length and reduce placental efficiency in protecting the offspring from the sows’ stress response.

Protein efficiency is a heritable trait that can be considered in breeding programs to reduce the environmental impact of pig production.

The live-born piglets of sows that were more active the day before farrowing, standing and in other activity than drinking and eating, had higher survival rates.

This work aims to summarise the methods utilised in farms and research laboratories to evaluate sperm quality in pigs.

There is genetic variation in individual piglet weight, litter traits, and number of functional teats in organically and outdoor-reared pigs.

The LiDAR camera has the potential as a non-invasive tool to help identify the sow's estrus.

It is possible to produce knock-out embryos via lipofection of zona-pellucida-intact porcine oocytes with similar efficiencies as with electroporation.

Although progeny body weights were typically less from first parity dams through 45 days of age, these progeny were similar or heavier at 100 and 145 days of age in contrast to progeny from other parities.

These results indicate that microbiota in feces, colostrum, and vaginal secretions of sows more easily colonized piglet intestines through a symbiotic effect.

Achieving optimal body weight at first service is essential for maximizing the sow’s lifetime performance.

For short-term fixation of five days around farrowing on commercial farms, the farrowing crate should be opened in the evening.

The physiological processes and how they change dynamically as the sow approaches farrowing greatly affect sow productivity.

Thermography coupled with Artificial Intelligence systems can help identify and orient the diagnosis of symptomatic animals to prompt adequate reaction at the earliest time.

Findings confirm the efficacy of the novel vaginal drug delivery system for induction of farrowing in sows.

Shorter nursing duration and more nursing terminations by the sow were observed in loose housing than in farrowing crates.

Microbial abundances and community structures differed significantly between sows with different litter sizes and gestation stages.

Spermine and spermidine alleviate oxidative stress via the antioxidant capacity, thereby improving the efficacy of boar semen preservation.

The study assessed whether vaccines administered to the uterus at breeding can lead to sufficient colostral antibodies to protect suckling piglets against PEDV.

Piglets with 1.25 to 2.30kg BW and low weight gain during suckling presented a partial compensatory growth during the nursery phase.

The effects of different boars from the Duroc and Pietrain breeds on the prevalence of swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome in their offspring.

Cold- and heat-resistance were dependent factors and sperm motility but neither semen stress test can be used as a sole test for predicting the fertilizing capacity of boar ejaculates.

The application of cloprostenol after farrowing improved fertility rates and reduced non-productive days.