Increase productivity with correct heat check management
Successful insemination revolves around one core principle: locating sows showing the standing reflex or standing heat. The standing reflex is a natural behaviour that ensures the sow can withstand a boar’s weight during breeding. It indicates that the gilts and sows are receptive to the boar, ovulating and capable of conceiving. Accurate identification of sows in heat ensures the correct timing of insemination which has shown not only to reduce the number of sows not conceiving, but both farrowing rate and litter size increase (Nissen, 1995). DanBred breeding animals deliver extraordinary reproduction results and careful heat observation will greatly contribute to optimising production flows.
Achieve full potential from DanBred by introducing systematic routines on heat observation
Inseminations should be timed using standing heat as a reference point. (Flowers 1996). The approach to accurate heat detection and timing of insemination has significant impact on reproductive success (Sørensen, 2009). If not pregnant or lactating, mature sows will naturally come into heat every 18 – 23 days or 4-5 days after weaning. During heat observations, stimulation of the sows impacts the release of hormone oxytocin, which causes a strong muscle rigidity that is expressed as the standing heat. Structured human stimulation has shown to increase the expression of heat (Madsen, 2003) and introducing mature, healthy and high libido teaser boars will enhance the signs as boar pheromones evoke heat (Flowers 1996). Heat observation is a technique which has to be learned and trained before it is mastered. Consistent, planned and focused heat observations will result in increased reproductive success. Onset is triggered by physiological mechanisms primarily caused by the lack of udder stimulation from piglets. Foster sows or returning sows might deviate from a normal heat cycle, which is why these should have extra attention. Sows which show standing heat soon after weaning generally have a relatively long heat whereas sows which show standing heat relatively long after weaning have a short heat (Nissen, 1995). As ovulation happens about 2/3 into the heat, the optimised conception rate is achieved if the sows are inseminated from 24 hours before until 4 hours after ovulation (DPRC, 2018). Heat detection for repeat breeds should identify all females in heat (wean sows, gilts and repeats) early in their oestrus cycle. The goal should be to identify 80%+ of non-pregnant animals by 4 weeks of gestation and more than 95%+ by 8 weeks of gestation as this will minimize the impact of non-productive days as well as the associated negative production and financial impact.