Revista Veterinaria Zacatecas 2004 - UAZ

L A Ruvalcaba-Ramírez et al.
ABSTRACT
Ruvalcaba-Ramírez LA, de la Puente-Ocampo F, Aréchiga-Flores CF, Escobar-Medina FJ. Litter
size of naturally breed and artificially inseminated sows. Litter size from naturally bred (n=48),
inseminated (n=64) and gonadotropin-treated and inseminated (n=37) sows form commercial swine units
was evaluated. Sows party was not allotted. Natural breeding and heat detection for insemination
depended upon owner and/or manager’s decision. Therefore, insemination was performed by the same
techicina in a daily schedule for each farm (every 24 hours) based on heat information provided by the
farm personnel. Total number of pigs born did not show differences within inseminated, gonadotropintreated
prior to insemination and naturally breeding. However, there was a tendency for higher number of
piglets in multiparous than primiparous sows. Moreover, there were no significant differences in the
number of piglets born alive and the number of piglets weaned, but there were differences between
multiparous and primiparous sows using artificial insemination and natural breeding (P