Many farmers raise pigs not only to provide themselves with food, but also for subsequent sale. However, for the most efficient housekeeping, it is necessary to have an idea of when the breeding period begins in animals. This will allow you to form the most suitable pairs to get a strong and healthy brood. Also in this article we will look at the most important facts about sows, which most beginner farmers have absolutely no idea about.
Key indicators of puberty
Let's dwell on this in more detail. Before you know how many days a pig walks, let's first look at the signs that will determine puberty in animals. According to experts, representatives of this group of artiodactyls are ready for mating as early as 6 months. At this age, pigs are already fully formed and ready to bear offspring. The beginning of the period of sexual desire can be judged by some behavioral changes.
In sows, these are:
- deterioration or complete lack of appetite;
- increased irritability;
- periodic change of place of stay;
- an increase in size and a change in the color of the genitals (becomes more saturated);
- constant screeching.
Among the main signs in males, the following can be distinguished:
- frequent urination;
- constant grunts that do not stop for several days;
- the boar constantly rubs against surrounding objects;
- increased aggressiveness.
But how many days does a pig walk? The signs of sexual hunting listed above will help you determine the beginning of the breeding season. As for its duration, it all depends on many factors. This will be described in more detail below.
Hunting Dates
So we came to the answer to the question of how many days a pig walks. Important features that affect the duration of the hunt may be different, but the age of the animals is basic. In young individuals, as a rule, this period lasts from 1.5 to 2 days, but in some cases it can increase up to one week. As the female grows older, her reproductive abilities and duration of sexual hunting decrease. The end of the mating can be guessed by the change in the behavior of the animal. It becomes calm and begins to ignore the males. Also, all the signs and changes in behavior described above completely disappear.
How many days does a pig walk? The signs of hunting in pigs described above will allow you to determine the beginning and end of the reproductive period. According to qualified specialists in the field of animal husbandry, most often the length of the breeding period is two days, after which individuals return to their usual way of life. However, as mentioned earlier, it all depends on many factors that must be taken into account. Therefore, in order to be ready for mating, you need to look at the picture in general, and not focus on individual factors.
At what age are animals ready for mating?
So what do you need to know about this? Many beginner farmers are interested in the question of how to find out when a pig walks. There are no unified recommendations, since everything here depends on the specific breed of animals. As a rule, sows become ready for mating at the age of six months. However, such indicators are reliable only if she does not have any pathologies, diseases and developmental disabilities. If you have any problems, it may take longer for puberty to complete.
However, experienced breeders, who have been engaged in farming for more than one year, argue that it is better to carry out the first mating no earlier than 9 months. This is due to the fact that for a shorter period, the animal simply does not have time to get stronger in order to give a good and healthy brood.
Unlike sows, boars become able to breed no earlier than 8 months of age, and their reproductive abilities persist for up to 3 years. But here also the key determining factors are the maturity of the animal, the characteristics of the particular breed and the state of health.
When does the second hunt begin?
How many days does the pig walk after the previous mating? Regardless of the breed of animals, sexual hunting is prone to cycling. The need for mating occurs every 21-22 days. If for some reason the sow did not allow the boar to come, then in a few weeks the pig will show the main signs of sexual desire. However, here everything also depends on a number of factors, among which the most important is the age of the animals, breed and conditions of detention.
In some cases, the female may start hunting again, even in the case of successful insemination. This is considered quite normal, because pigs, unlike other animals, are able to bear offspring of different ages. Therefore, for one mating, several inseminations can occur with a small interval between each of them.
How to choose a suitable pair?
This aspect should be given special attention. You already know how many days the pig walks and by what signs it is possible to determine the beginning of the period of sexual desire. But the success of breeding domestic animals and the health of the young livestock depend on how well the sow was selected. In the selection process, the following nuances must be taken into account:
- compliance of the animal with all the characteristics of a particular breed;
- good health and the absence of any pathologies and diseases;
- optimal body weight and degree of fatness;
- age.
It is also worth considering the number of offspring brought before and the quality of offspring. If the piglets were weak and painful, then it is better not to use such a female for breeding pigs. In order for mumps mating to be successful during sexual hunting, the boar must also meet certain criteria. Among the most important nuances are the following:
- the same breed as the sow;
- good physical development;
- age no more than 3 years;
- ideal size to weight ratio.
Experts in the field of animal husbandry argue that it is better to choose a male and a female from various farms. If they are blood relatives, then the probability of giving birth to weak and defective offspring is high.
Mating methods
Today, farmers use a variety of mating technologies. The main ones are two: purebred and interbreed. The first involves the use of one breed for sows and boars, and the second for different breeds. The clean method is more common because it allows you to maximize the characteristics of the breed, and with it you can significantly increase the meatiness of animals. But here it is important to consider how many days a pig walks. It is undesirable for one sexual hunt to have several inseminations.
As for interbreed technology, its main goal is to achieve maximum performance and high parameters in future generations. It can be performed using one of the following methods:
- Absorption mating. It is aimed at breeding new hybrid breeds with higher rates by pairing unproductive pigs with productive ones.
- Reproductive mating. Crossing is carried out in stages and covers representatives of several generations. The advantage of this technology is that one breed as a result combines the characteristics of several.
- Introductory Crossing. It is aimed at fixing and isolating a certain parameter in pigs.
Mating methods also differ depending on the method of the procedure. This will be discussed in more detail below.
Manual pairing
It involves carrying out mating in a separate room, equipped specifically for the implementation of these goals. The walls should not have sharp protrusions, and the floor is strewn with sawdust. For the entire period of sexual hunting, the sow and the male are left alone, protecting them from loud noise and any stressful situations. In a few days, the boar completely gets used to his new girlfriend, and they have sexual intercourse.
Double cage
This method is used by a huge number of farmers. It is based on mating in two stages with an interval of 12 hours between them. In this case, the probability of successful fertilization will be very high. Using this technology, it is also important to know how many days a pig walks in order to manage to spend two males. Therefore, you should take into account the characteristics of a particular breed, the age of the boar and sow, as well as the individual characteristics of the habits of animals.
Artificial insemination
This technology is widely used on large farms, where due to the huge number of livestock, natural insemination is impossible or problematic for various reasons. As the name suggests, direct insemination does not occur. The sow is injected with seed selected in special laboratories. Since the material is pre-processed and tested, the probability of successful insemination is equated to 100 percent, and the entire brood will have good health and good characteristics.
Conclusion
Thus, having an idea of the duration of the walk of the pig, as well as the basic methods of mating, it is possible to significantly increase the efficiency of animal husbandry. However, the farmer should focus not only on the figures given, but also on the individual characteristics of each individual individual, since there are no uniform rules and recommendations in these matters. But if you follow the basic advice on mating given in this article, you will be able to stably breed a large and healthy offspring.