The question of how to carry out artificial insemination of pigs at home, concerns mainly large entrepreneurs who contain from several tens to hundreds of heads. This method allows you to get a rich offspring, however, to achieve a good result, you will need to thoroughly study all the theoretical information and find out even the smallest nuances. Only after this can we begin the process of artificial insemination.
Feature of insemination of pigs
If you want to increase the productivity index of your farm, it is best to resort to an artificial way of inseminating animals at home. This process allows you to eliminate most of the basic problems that are associated with the natural method of fertilization. For example, a male individual is able to fertilize about 500 females in one year, while all the genetic qualities of the boar are transmitted to the offspring. However, such an event is unlikely to succeed on a large farm. Therefore, most farmland prefer to use artificial insemination of sows.
Fertilization of pigs occurs by introducing a special tube into the vagina of the female, which feeds the pre-prepared boar seed into the uterus. It is also recommended to pre-check the female for hunting, since the success of fertilization will depend on this. It’s easy enough to find out from the behavior of the animal. In general, the process of artificial insemination of pigs is not difficult, so anyone can cope with it. Even if you do not own a large farm, this does not mean that you have to spend precious time mating a boar and a sow. If you wish, you can buy inexpensive equipment and carry out insemination yourself.
Benefits of Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination of animals began to be used back in 1930. This method has not lost its relevance in our time. Today, most experienced farmers prefer to fertilize livestock artificially. This trend has been established for a reason. Insemination of pigs using special equipment has a number of advantages compared to natural mating:
- the relatively small amount of sperm needed to conceive;
- high concentration biological material is stored for a long time;
- it is possible to transport seminal fluid over long distances;
- the probability of infecting the uterus of STDs is minimized;
- the animal cannot refuse artificial insemination;
- you can plan a pig’s pregnancy as convenient for the farmer;
- there is no chance of injury during insemination.
As you can see, there are quite a few advantages due to which most farmers prefer to use the artificial method of fertilizing animals. However, do not forget that for the implementation of such an event it will be necessary to purchase a special inseminator for pigs, without which it will be simply impossible to fertilize a pig. Such a device is relatively inexpensive, but not to mention the need for its acquisition would be wrong.
What else does the farmer need to know?
Have you decided to carry out artificial insemination of pigs on your farm? First you will have to choose one of several methods of fertilization. For example, you can use diluted seminal fluid or fractions. It is worth noting that the differences between the options are only in the method of introducing sperm into the vagina. In large enterprises, both of these methods are often used.
Whatever method you choose, it is imperative to follow basic sanitary standards so as not to infect the sow. For this, it is necessary to comply with the rules and regulations that are prescribed in the instructions for the catheter. If the pig does not fertilize the first time, then you can use the seminal fluid obtained from another boar. If the second conception again failed, you will have to resort to the help of a veterinarian.
Dilute insemination
As mentioned earlier, for artificial insemination of pigs, you can use diluted seminal fluid, which contains from four to five billion active sperm (in the original sample there are about 10 billion). Such a liquid is injected in an amount of 150 milliliters, but it is best to use the following calculation: 1 milliliter of semen per 1 kilogram of live weight. As for the device intended for artificial insemination, it consists of two rubber tubes and a special plastic container for seminal fluid.
The temperature of the seminal fluid at the time of introduction into the vagina should not be lower than 30 degrees Celsius. All devices must be sanitized in advance and thoroughly dried. After the seminal fluid is placed in a glass or plastic tank, you can begin the process of introducing sperm. As soon as the tube rests against the fallopian walls, the vial rises and the seed enters. If the farmer uses a device for introduction with a glass container, then a special aerogenic supercharger is used for introduction, which with the help of air delivers the boar seed inside. Usually this method of fertilization takes a person from three to seven minutes.
Fractional insemination method
Insemination of pigs in a fractional way involves the use of a special diluent, which is necessary to create a comfortable environment for sperm. This method of insemination is carried out in several stages. To begin with, diluted seminal fluid in the amount of 100 milliliters is introduced into the vagina. After that, a special solution consisting of distilled water, salt and glucose is injected into the uterus. When the second portion is introduced, the fertilization process can be considered completed.
For artificial insemination to be successful, it is necessary to use a special thermostatic device, which has a small heater with a tank in its design. Also, such a device contains a container for seminal and fractional fluid, two tubes and an air filter designed to introduce sperm into the uterus. To increase the likelihood of fertilizing a pig, professional farmers recommend shaking the vials with purchased semen before use.
Boar semen collection
Thinking about how much the boar's sperm costs? As a rule, the answer to this question will depend on the breed of the animal, as well as its genetic characteristics. The younger and healthier the boar looks, the more money the farmer will have to give for buying seminal fluid. If you have a male in your household, then you can carry out sperm sampling yourself, having previously equipped the room with a special scarecrow and good lighting. After that, you will only need to follow the algorithm of actions described just below.
- We fix the scarecrow for the boar at the level of the male and place a rubber mat on the back, which will prevent the boar from slipping on the floor.
- We fix a special rubber hole in the effigy, which imitates the sow's vagina (it should be warm and moist).
- We close the hole in the upper part with some kind of film, pulling it with a rubber ring, and then we launch the male.
- We direct the sexual organ of the boar into the hole and perform translational movements for stimulation.
After that, it remains only to wrap your fingers around the end of the boar's genitals and expect results. As soon as you see that the process of ejaculation has occurred, we direct the member of the boar to the container for collecting fluid and wait for all the seed to be released outside. Of course, this process should be carried out in compliance with sanitary standards, so gloves and protective clothing must be worn. In addition, it is necessary to carry out stimulation of the penis in such a way as not to harm the health of the boar.
Pig selection
Any operator for artificial insemination of animals will tell you that not every female is suitable for fertilization. First, the female must reach puberty, which is four to five months old. However, the pig can only bear offspring at the age of nine months. The hunting period for a mature pig begins every 18-20 days. It was at this time that artificial insemination should be carried out.
When choosing a female, one should pay attention to the following signs of hunting:
- The animal becomes much more mobile than during the normal period, begins to behave much more aggressive, can not sit still for a long time.
- The genitals of pigs swell and become red, and specific discharge also appears.
- If you click on the pig’s ridge, it will emit strong squeals, and will also bend its back - such actions are characteristic only for the period of hunting.
- Try to allow a male to enter the sow. Even if the male stands motionless, the female will be extremely aggressive towards him.
If you decide to carry out artificial insemination of pigs, then you will have to examine the females every day at each morning and evening feeding. Individuals ready for pregnancy very often keep themselves aloof from their fellow tribesmen, so it will not be difficult to notice them. However, before introducing a boar seed into a sow, you must first prepare the selected animal for this process.
Sow preparation
Not sure how to prepare a sow for artificial insemination? The information in this section will help you understand this in more detail. The most important thing in this case is to adhere to certain sanitary standards. If some kind of infection gets inside the pig’s genitals, this can lead to the birth of sick or even dead babies. In addition, sexually transmitted infections also negatively affect the health of the sow itself, so you should rinse the vagina well with warm water in advance, and also treat all equipment with furatsilin solution, and then wipe the tubes dry with a clean rag.
Before the introduction of sperm, it is necessary to excite the pig. To do this, stroke it on the sides, but in no case do not touch the back, otherwise the animal will begin to behave extremely aggressively. Stimulating the sow's genitals increases the level of oxytocin, a special hormone that helps the reproductive organs more efficiently take boar seminal fluid. The whole process of stimulation of the pig should last from 3 to 6 minutes.
Recommendations from experienced breeders
Many inexperienced farmers go to artificial insemination points because, due to the lack of proper skills, they can inseminate in such a way that conception does not occur. To minimize this error factor, it is recommended to follow the advice from professional breeders, which we have collected especially for our readers from various subject forums.
- Check the genitals of the pig before insemination. If mucus is secreted from them, and the vagina can be stretched with a finger a few centimeters, then the sow is ready for fertilization.
- For one individual, only one catheter is allowed. Many novice breeders replace the plastic tank and tube with various improvised means - this is not necessary.
- Seminal fluid sampling should be carried out only in a strong and healthy boar. If it happens that the pig becomes pregnant from a sick individual, then it is highly likely that the cubs will be born underdeveloped.
Also, many novice breeders are interested in the question of how much the boar sperm costs. We want to draw your attention to the fact that the price can vary greatly, because buyers can drop a price very much, and a seller can overcharge it. The final cost can be found out only when making a deal with the breeder.
Video and conclusion
We hope you now better understand what constitutes the process of artificial insemination of a pig. If the information from our article seemed insufficient to you or you still have some questions about this process, we recommend that you watch a short video. In it, any novice breeder can find for himself many useful nuances.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated in the process of artificial insemination. It will be enough to purchase fairly inexpensive equipment and good quality seminal fluid, and then follow the recommendations that were given in our article. If you do everything right, then the piglets will be born healthy and strong, like their father.