M.E. Wilson

Pig Reproduction

Pan Pacific Pork Expo 2006

30 Pigs weaned/ sow/ year

Economics of reproduction

3-3.5 US cents per market pig/EBV point above the average

$2.35 improvement in each generation

5

Natural MatingNatural Service vs Artificial Insemination

Natural

Service

Artificial

Insemination

Total sperm

cells

30-80 billion 3 billion

Total volume 200 – 400 ml 75-85 ml

Seminal

Plasma/

insemination

160-350 ml 8-12 ml

Boar ID Volume % viable cells Mean recovery

7 307 75.3 52%

12 286 70.6 24 %

14 324 66.6 35%

16 199 47 20%

17 234 83.6 39%

Lebowa and Wilson, unpublished data, 2005

Which Boar will have the Highest Fertility?

Mean Fertility Results

Boar ID services Farrowing % Total born

7 30 93 13.18

12 29 83 12.74

14 31 45 9.22

16 27 100 12.04

17 27 52 6.5

Lebowa and Wilson, unpublished data, 2005

Single Boar 93 79.6 9.26Two different Boars 106 89.6 10.68

Number ofMatings

%conception

Litter Size

Thacker and Kirkwood, 1988

Effects of heterospermic matings verseshomospermic matings on litter size

Comparison of Breeding MethodsComparison of Breeding Methods

United Feeds, 1998

MethodNumber of

LittersFarrowing

rate %Total born - mummy

AI- 2 different boars

220 88 12.36

Combo - 1 natural 1AI

218 88 12.06

Natural serv 189 88 11.9

AI- 1boar 185 88 11.62

A

A

A

B

Different superscripts P<.05

B

B

UltrasonographyMonitoring Ovarian Activity

No Follicles

Follicles

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

6

5

4

3

WE

I (d

)

Estrus (h)

OEOI ED

Kemp and Soede, 1996

follicles

Interval between insemination and ovulation

Sows with >90% Normal Embryos

Fertilization %

Insemination 48-40 17 29

Pre-ovulation 40-32 14 37

32-24 47 47

24-16 79 79

16-8 83 94

8-0 86 93

Ovulation 0-8 54 75

Post-ovulation 8-16 53 62

The effects of the interval between insemination and ovulation onFertilization rate and embryo viability (Soede, et.al., 1995a)

Synchronized Estrus and ovulation

500 – 750 IU of eCG Pregnecol (Canada) 400 IU eCG and 200 IU hCG (PG 600)

42 hours after hCG ovulation typically occurs 36-38 hours after pLH ovulation will be induced

Billions sperm cells/dose

Number of doses

3 30

2.5 36

2 45

1.5 60

IUI - .6 150

Managing dose potential per boar

The issue is not TECHNOLOGY

The issue is The issue is IMPLEMENTATIONIMPLEMENTATION

Transcervical

Deep Uterine

Artificial Insemination

Traditional

Treatment N Total Pigs

+/- Control

Conventional 4

billion

100 947 -

IUI 4 billion 100 1086 + 139

IUI 1 billion 100 892 - 55

IUI .5 billion 100 712 - 235

The number of pigs per 100 matings with 0.5, 1or 4 billion cells transcervical1 or 4 billion cells

intra cervical

1 Transcervical catheter passage was 94%. Hemorrhaging observed on Catheter 4% of matings (n=620) K. Rozeboom

Sexed Sperm Cells Non-surgical implantation of embryos Frozen Semen Expanding genetic potential and reducing

variation

Let’s jump into the future

Sperm sexing technology

• Based on the fact that more (2.8% – 7%) DNA is contained in X-bearing than in Y-bearing sperm

Surgically Flushing Embryos

Midwest Commercial ET Project

Embryo Survival to Birth from Farrowed Sows

Piglet Genotype

Total BornEmbryos

Transferred (farrowed sows only)

Pigs per Embryo

Duroc 182 375 .49

White 66 103 .64

Total 248 478 .52

Litter of 14 pigs from non-surgical transfer

15 embryos transferred 14 pigs born alive

CloningDolly, the sheep (1996)

First mammal to be cloned from adult cells (mammary)

Dolly

Surrogate mother

Viable cloned offspring (litter size ave. = 4-8)

Adult donor

Cloned embryosTransferred within24 hrs - Porcine

Surgical transfer into oviduct- 50-100 clones

Chromatin Transfer

Benefits of Cloning Advance superior genetics

Feed efficiency Rate of gain Carcass traits

Gene markers for disease Research model

Removes more variation Medical models

Testing human diseases