The purebred DanBred boar reaches sexual maturity by the age of 6-7 months – at that time it will be eager to mount the dummy and be able to produce semen. By 8 months of age, the boars are able to deliver sperm counts adequate for use in a breeding programme.

If the boars have been group housed, they should be separated and placed in individual pens at least 14 days prior to beginning training. This is done to protect the boars, as their strong sexual instincts can lead to damaging fights. When training boars for semen collection, the key word is patience.

Devote the time it takes to train a young boar and be calm and consistent, as this will be beneficial and rewarded in productivity. Training will be more efficient if boars are trained in keeping with their natural sexual instincts – this will also lay the foundation for a long-term positive association, increasing lifetime production [1].

Begin boar training by introducing the dummy sow into the pen. To induce interest to the dummy, place some feed on it. Give the boar some minutes alone to explore the dummy.

To encourage the boar to mount the dummy, put some previously collected semen directly onto the dummy – the smell from another mature boar can trigger the boar in training into mounting the dummy.

Most boars will mount the dummy during one of the first few training sessions. Once the boar mounts the dummy, slowly enter the pen. Talk calmly to the boar and stroke his sides, testes, and prepuce. Then, try to collect from the boar, while giving encouragement all the time. When collecting lock the penis in a firm grip and collect the ejaculate. During the collection examine the penis for abnormalities or anatomical issues (i.e., limp penis, persistent frenulum).

Always praise the boar after a successful training session. Train the boars for 10-15 minutes a day, to uphold their interest.

Successful training of a new boar should take no more than 4 weeks [1].