Artificial insemination in the pig

Question 1

What is Artificial insemination?

Answer 1

the medical or veterinary procedure of injecting semen into the vagina or uterus

Question 2

Why is the AI imporant?

Answer 2

is the most important single technique for the genetic improvement of animals where a few select males produce enough sperm to inseminate thousands of females per year

Question 3

What are the major advantages of AI?

Answer 3

• Genetic improvement
• Males with desirable genetic markers
• Permits crossbreeding
• Accurate breeding records
• control of diseases

Summary from professor:
Major advantages of AI are genetic improvement, use of the most valuable boars, transport over a long distance and control of venereal diseases.

Question 4

What are the major risks of AI?

Answer 4

If the AI isn’t operated in the right manner, the advantages can turn to a risk and can cause huge harm.

If the AI is done properly, it is only advantages!

Question 5

What is the minimum age for breeding of a boar?

Answer 5

7.5-11 months

Question 6

What is the mating frequency? How often can we use the same boar?

Answer 6

We use the boar 2-3 times per week, the spermatozoa needs to mature between the ejaculations.

Question 7

What is the boar:sow ratio?

Answer 7

= How many sows can be mated by one boar

1:25

Question 8

On a pig farm, what is the job of a veterinarian?

Answer 8

to control the reproduction Mangement, to check how many times they collect semen from a boar

Question 9

Why do we have to wait some time before we can use the semen?

Answer 9

After the ejaculation the boar can get inflammatory sickness and we cannot use the semen

Question 10

How many different ways of AI is there?

Answer 10

2

central boar station and on farm semen production

Question 11

What is central boar station?

Answer 11

on farm inseminator or inseminator of the station in remote area

Question 12

What is on farm semen production?

Answer 12

usually the same person collecting and inseminating. They have their own boars.

Question 13

How many different ways can we collect semen from the boar?

Answer 13

4

• Artifical vagina
• Glove-hand-method
• Electroejaculation
• US-bag method

Question 14

Explain the method “artificial vagina” method

Answer 14

It’s an existing method, but not really used anymore. We are not able to observe penis and secretions

Question 15

Explain the “Gloved-hand-method”

Answer 15

Used everywhere. Its an easy observation of penis and the seminal fluid. We collect the semen with a gloved hand into the collecting vessel, which is covered with a filter tissue. The boars semen has 3 phases: cleaning the tubes and prepuce of the boar, the sperm cells and the last phase is a sticky material remaining on the surface of the filter. The 1st phase we let go to the floor, the second we need into the vessel and the last remain on the surface of the vessel. The sticky material is making a plug in the vulva to prevent backflow of semen, in a natural breeding.

Question 16

Explain the “electroejaculation” method

Answer 16

There is a juristic process and they want to check the semen of the boar, it’s quite risky but it exist.

Question 17

No matter the method, what is always the first step of semen collection?

Answer 17

to train the boar to accept the worker and ejaculate, its quite difficult to train them and it can be very dangerous. We use young gilt in heat so the boar is jumping on the gilts and we collect the semen, this is inly for the boar to get used to the workers and methods.

Once its used to the work and workers, we use a phantom treated with boar scent.

Question 18

Explain the US-bag method

Answer 18

We use a collecting vessel for the semen collection.

They use a plastic bag where the filter tissue is prepared inside, immediately after semen collection they transfer it to the bag. It will be a closed system, there is a small collector to pour out the semen. They make the semen sample of check the semen, and eventually they dilute the semen. By doing this, they prevent any type of infections.

Question 19

How can we observe the semen?

Answer 19

Macroscopic and microscopic

After an ejaculation, we can observe if there is any abnormalities of the penis and also in the semen

Question 20

What do we observe in a macroscopic view?

Answer 20

We can observe the volume of the semen, the colour (if its bloody) and we can smell it (this is what we observe immediately after ejaculation)

Question 21

What do we observe in a microscopic view?

Answer 21

We measure the concentration, motility and the morphology of the semen.

We put one drop on the slide, cover it and then check in the microscope.

Question 22

What is the ejaculate volume? both normal value and limit value

Answer 22

Normal: 100-500
Limit: 50

Question 23

What is the total sperm number? both normal value and limit value

Answer 23

Normal: 10-100 billions
Limit: 10 billions

Question 24

What is the progressive motility of semen? both normal value and limit value

Answer 24

Normal: 70-90%
Limit: 70%

Question 25

What is the number of abnormal sperm heads? both normal value and limit value

Answer 25

Normal: 2-5
Limit: 10

Question 26

What is the number of proximal cytoplasmic droplets? both normal value and limit value

Answer 26

Normal: 1-5
Limit: 5

Question 27

What is the number of acrosome abnormalities? both normal value and limit value

Answer 27

Normal: 1-2
Limit: 5

Question 28

What is the number of abnormal midpieves? both normal value and limit value

Answer 28

Normal: 2-5
limit: 5

Question 29

What is the number of single-bent-sperm tails? both normal value and limit value

Answer 29

Normal: 1-5
Limit: 25

Question 30

What is the number of sperm per AI dose?

Answer 30

2-4 billions

Question 31

What is the number of AI doses per ejaculate?

Answer 31

20-30

Question 32

In which cases will the semen be poured out directly?

Answer 32

If the spermatozoa has abnormalities with the acrosome on the head. If the problem occur frequently the boar will be culled.

Question 33

Which abnormality can be seen in the picture?

Answer 33

Distal protoplasmic droplet

Question 34

Which abnormality can be seen in the picture?

Answer 34

Proximal protoplasmic droplet

Question 35

What does it mean when we see a spermatozoa with any kind of protoplasmic droplet?

Answer 35

means unmatured spermatozoa is in the semen , meaning that the boar didn’t have enough time to mature the spermatozoa.

It is not an unhealthy sample, it only proofs that the boar didn’t have enough time between the ejaculations.

It is the same with the “distal protoplasmic droplet”, a normal – matured sperm cell should not have a droplet at all.

The more mature it gets, the more caudal the droplet gets, until it is 100% mature and the droplet is gone.

Question 36

After an ejaculation, what happens to the sperm?

Answer 36

It will be evaluated, and with the basics we can determine how many dosages we can prepare.

the determination of dilution and then we dilute the semen

Then we prepare, usually 100 ml, the sperm dose.

Question 37

How is the sperm transported and stored?

Answer 37

16-17 degrees.
We usually store the semen for 3-7 days.

Question 38

Name some extenders for the sperm dilution

Answer 38

• Acromax - Kiev
• Androhep - Androstar
• BTS - LX II
• MRA - TH4
• Merk III - Modena
• X-cell - Zorlesco medium
• Vital

Question 39

Why is it important to detect a heat in a sow?

Answer 39

To know when to inseminate the sow.

Oestrus detection and optimal time of insemination are essential for high performance.

Question 40

How can we detect heat in a sow?

Answer 40

In case of pigs in flock, its quite evident to see. The pig in heat will allow the other female to mount, we will see typical behaviour on the animal simulating a normal – natural breeding.

If not in flock: We can perform the back-pressure test, and check the sow for vulval symptoms

Question 41

What is the back-pressure-test?

Answer 41

We put pressure on the sows back, if she allows it, she is in heat. Should be performed both before and after synchronization

Question 42

In which stage of the Oestrus cycle is the pig in the picture? How could you tell?

Answer 42

Diestrus

The sow si not yet in heat

Question 43

In which stage of the Oestrus cycle is the pig in the picture? How could you tell?

Answer 43

Proestrus

We can observe some reddening of the vulva

Question 44

In which stage of the Oestrus cycle is the pig in the picture? How could you tell?

Answer 44

Oestrus

The vulva is swelled and reddening, and some fluid can be observed coming from the vulva

Question 45

In which stage of the oestrus cycle can we do the insemination?

Answer 45

Oestrus

Question 46

How do perform the AI and which site is the sperm deposition?

Answer 46

Strict realization of sanitary conditions and maintaining accurate technology of insemination and sperm storage are basic for good fertilization results.

The site of the sperm deposition is in the cervix.

In some countries they use the deep intrauterine insemination. In this case the semen can be more diluted, because the spermatozoa can be less than in case of cervix IA

Question 47

The steps of AI

Answer 47

1. We clean around the vulva
2. We draw away the vulval lip and then we can insert (dorso-cranial position) the catheter.
3. We connect the sperm bottle to the catheter. We don’t press the bottle, by normal natural mating the boar gives a speed for the semen by the strength of ejaculation, this we cannot copy so if we press the bottle there will be a backflow.
4. Due to the uterine contractions, the sperm is sucked into the genital tract
5. The AI can easily take 5 minutes.

Question 48

Why is the direction of the IA catheter important?

Answer 48

The direction of the catheter is very important, because it is very easy to make the mistake of inseminating into the bladder instead. We push the catheter in a smooth movement, don’t force it,

During heat, the cervix is sucking in the catheter, so we should use the pressure of the IA in accordance of the movement of the cervix.

Question 49

When is it normal for the sow to be in heat?

Answer 49

On average:
After farrowing there is normally a 28 day long suckling period, then we have weaning on day 5. The sow should then get in heat, 5 days after weaning.