If you explain that you've not done it before they'll send you full instructions
The key to it is detecting the pigs' season accurately.
Check them twice daily for signs (puffy vulva, a bit more highly strung than normal, standing to back pressure) as soon as they show signs of standing when you apply pressure to the back end that's when to phone
They send it out next day delivery - if it looks like she's coming to heat on the Friday, but not standing it's worth ordering so you have it for the Sunday - it will keep for a couple of days. They send 3 doses, which you should aim to give 12 hours apart (we do morning feed and evening feed, so not always a full 12 hours
)
They have 3 Berkshire different boars (I think) apparently the Lassetter and Orlando lines give really good looking piglets - duh ! Just realised this is under the Saddleback one
so not sure of the boars they have for that.
Oh, but check your gilt's paperwork incase she was the product of AI - you probably don't want to use her dad to inseminate her.
Once you get your bottles keep them in the polystyrene box in an ambiet temperature of around 17C (not in the fridge) You'll need lubricant (available at most farm supplies shops - KY jelly would do at a push) before you get down to the job of inserting the catheter - rub her belly and push at it firmly with your hand (this mimicks what the boar would do with his snout and encourages her to release more eggs
)
Deerpark usually send spiral catheters which are good, but can sometimes make gilts bleed - sponge tippped ones aren't as inclined to cause this (Deerpark may have sponge ones, might be worth asking)
We AI'd a gilt who started bleeding, we stopped and abandoned the proceedure - but the advice I was given afterwards was that I should have continued with the AI as it shouldn't have caused problems.
It sounds scary, but it's not really - and at around £30 it's not too expensive for a 'trail run'
Hope that helps
Karen
Topic: Saddle Back Boar wanted (Read 3817 times)
