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Control of the estrous cycle, ovulation, time of insemination and subsequent farrowing in swine
The quest to develop methods for control of the estrous cycle in swine began almost 80 years ago. However, Dr. Day and coworkers (Polge, Day and Groves, Vet. Record) were the first to describe a method for estrous cycle and ovulation control in gilts in 1968. Dr. Day and coworkers demonstrated that insemination at a pre-determined fixed time, without estrus detection, resulted in pregnancy rates comparable to conventional insemination methods. Although the methods described in this publication are not available in the USA today, pre-determined fixed-time insemination in swine has become a reality four decades later. This presentation will review research and discuss development of pharmaceutical products that support and accomplish the objectives implied in this pioneering paper “to examine techniques for controlling ovulation and insemination at a predetermined time and eliminate the need for estrus detection”. We will present data and discuss products recently approved by the FDA for estrous cycle control and ovulation induction which makes synchronization of the time of insemination possible. In addition, the authors will review Dr. Day’s early work on parturition induction and discuss the research that led to development of products that enable swine producers to inseminate gilts and sows at a pre-determined fixed time and to subsequently schedule sows to farrow on a pre-determined day. This technology will allow pig farmers to control and schedule key production activities, increase piglet survival and improve farm efficiency.
Keywords:
estrous synchronization, fixed-time insemination, farrowing induction