Page 13 of articles about genetics-reproduction in Articles

The farm, with an elevated number of animals, had been experiencing for several days an increased number of births in gestation on the weekend before moving the sows to the farrowing pens. Mortality in these births was 100%.

In this chapter we will present the farrowing stages and how to control it.

In Denmark the most common practice is to always stimulate with the boar together with a complete 5 point pattern of stimulation carried out by the inseminator.

The milk production of sows is one of the parameters that has evolved the most over the last several decades.

In this chapter we will take a look at some other aspects of farrowing induction...

The most relevant genetic defects of the skin are epitheliogenesis imperfecta, pitryisis rosea and malignant melanoma. Recent data suggest an increase of the melanoma incidence in Duroc bred, incidences of 2.60% and 0.62% have been found in two Duroc nucleus herds.

This may be a good option when farrowings and litter control during the first days are the priority.

On small farms it is better to group tasks on specific days, leaving other days with less tasks in order to organize days off...

Hernias are the most common genetic defect and often cause welfare problems as well as economic loss.

The standard database for inherited traits and disorders in animal species (OMIA) lists 29 single-locus disorders, nine of these have been characterized at the molecular level, meaning that DNA testing may be used for control.

In the last chapter we examined mating guidelines that came rather close to being ideal, given that they achieve the following objectives: At least one mating should be adjusted to meet the ideal time and achieve the first objective with the least number of matings.

An economic model was developed that assessed financial loss through the pyramid from nucleus to multiplier to commercial herd on a per litter basis for traits with an incidence higher than 0.10%.

The ideal mating guideline should follow 2 objectives: At least one mating should be adjusted to meet the ideal time and achieve the first objective with the least number of matings.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, theoretically, the ideal mating time is around 10-12 hours before ovulation.

The optimal fertilization of a sow depends on several factors, among them, mating in a specific moment of the oestrus.

A survey was undertaken in a large anonymous European Breeding Company over a four year period ending March 2010. In total, 175843 pigs born were evaluated to establish the incidence of congenital defects and additional assessments were made at 95kg. More than half the total defects were identified in the growing and fattening period rather than at birth.