Our Saddleback sow was separated from her 10 piglets at 7 weeks old on 20 July this year. This had been her first litter and she had become pregnant on her first attempt at AI aged 9 months at the time. Since early September I have been searching for signs of oestrus so I can work out when her 3 week cycles occur to try and plan when to order semen from Deerpark. Ideally I would prefer not to inseminate her before mid-November so she has a March 2012 litter.
But unlike the first time round as a gilt when oestrus was very obvious, despite being a black pig, this time there appears to be no change to her vulva at all and she does not respond to back pressure ever. She is definitely not fat, although she has regained all the weight she had lost feeding 10 greedy piglets over 7 weeks. I am now getting worried that she may have become infertile as a result of not impregnating her immediately after weaning. Does anyone know how quickly infertility sets in a sow is left for several months without mating/AI? Also, is it possible to stimulate oestrus artifically, say with Boar Mate spray, as we don't have a real boar available (other than our lusty 5 month old Tamworth boy who hardly counts). On balance, is it a bad or OK idea to have a sow who has a litter once a year, not twice. For our tiny scale operation, it is much more convenient having March-ish litters only from the perspective of selling weaners or growing on for meat. Would much appreciate any advice anyone has - Tamsaddle
Topic: Dry sow? (Read 2401 times)
