Standard Operating Procedures

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the day-to- day instructions for running the breeding herd. The information given here provides the essential points that must be covered in SOPs in the key areas of management of the breeding herd.

  • Start boar contact when gilts are 25-28 weeks of age such that 90% of gilts have reached puberty by 30 weeks of age
  • Ensure gilts are not crowded – house with at least 1.8-2.0m2/gilt
  • Use a stimulus boar that is at least 10 months of age & performing regular matings (at least once every 2 weeks)
  • Expose gilts to the boar in groups of no more than 12. If group size is larger use pairs or groups of boars at a ratio of one boar to 12-15 gilts
  • Ensure contact with the boar is full (i.e. in the same pen NOT just fenceline contact)
  • Give daily boar contact for 15-20 minutes/day Alternatively, if more stimulation is required (e.g. in Summer & early Autumn) give 10 minutes of contact twice daily
  • If all the above points are being followed & gilt response is still poor assume the boar is a low stimulus value boar & replace him
  • Vulval reddening & swelling are insufficient to define a female is on heat – only a true standing heat is definitive
  • Ensure females are housed at least 1m away from a boar. This may need to increase, depending on airflows within the building
  • If using group housing ensure a space allowance of at least 2.0-2.4m2/female
  • If females are stall-housed, restrain stimulus boar to no more than 4-5 stalls whilst performing heat checks
  • Conduct heat detection when females are in head-to-head contact with a mature boar who is 10 months of age or older & performing regular matings (at least once every 2 weeks)
  • When conducting heat detection assume a female is not sufficiently on heat to breed if she does not show a good standing heat within 20 seconds of checking her using the above method
  • Do not use PG600 to induce heat & ovulation in either gilts or sows until you have investigated why females are not coming on heat in response to boar stimulation
  • Gilts
    • Do not use PG600 to induce cyclicity in the last 10% of gilts to reach puberty in response to boar contact. These are sub-fertile females & should be culled
    • In gilts response to PG600 will improve with both age & liveweight
    • On average expect 70% of treated gilts to show heat 5-6 days (usual range 4-7 days) after treatment although response can be unpredictable
    • If gilts are left to cycle before breeding expect about 30% to revert to a prepubertal state
    • It is recommended that PG600-treated gilts are bred at the induced heat. Reproductive performance to this breeding can be variable but is normally equivalent to breeding at a natural heat
  • Sows
    • PG600 can be given to sows at weaning or one day later to partially overcome variation in time taken to return to heat after weaning, particularly in Summer/early Autumn or in Parity 1 sows
    • Expect sows to show heat by about day 7 after weaning & to have normal fertility if bred at the induced heat
    • Do not use PG600 to treat sows failing to show heat within 7 days after weaning as their response to treatment & fertility to subsequent breeding is likely to be poor
  • The dose of Regumate required is 15mg/female. Exceeding this dose level is expensive while under-dosing can reduce efficacy & cause ovarian cysts
  • Gilts
    • Regumate does not, at least in theory, work on prepubertal gilts
    • In cycling gilts it can effectively synchronise the timing of heats
    • Individually feed Regumate to cycling gilts for a minimum of 12-14 days. Mix it into a small amount of feed & give to the gilt before she receives her daily feed allowance
    • If gilts are group-housed they should be ‘drenched' with Regumate in a highly palatable solution
    • Expect gilts to show heat 5-6 days (range 4-7 days) after Regumate withdrawal & to have normal fertility at that heat
  • Sows
    • Regumate can be used in herds that see a significant drop in second litter performance
    • These sows weaning their first litter can be placed on Regumate for a minimum of 3-6 days (preferably 10-12 days) to allow recovery & improvement of nutritional status before breeding
    • Expect sows to show heat 5-6 days (range 4-7 days) after Regumate withdrawal & to have normal fertility at that heat
  • Step up feed intake as quickly as possible for your genotype from farrowing to reach a peak intake at 5-10 days post-farrowing
  • Maximum intake daily at peak should be at least 90 MJ of DE/day, 55g of lysine, 40g. calcium & 18g av. phosphorus
  • Consider feeding higher specification diets (both higher protein & higher energy content) to parity 1 & 2 sows in lactation
  • Target a body weight loss in lactation of less than 8%
  • Do not cross-foster until all piglets in a litter have had a chance to suckle – at least 6 hours after farrowing & preferably 12-24 hours
  • If necessary use shift suckling (shut the heavier piglets in a litter that have a full belly away from the sow for 1-2 hours to allow smaller less vigorous piglets to access colostrum)
  • Try to equalise suckling litter size across a batch of farrowed sows recognising variables such as sow parity, body condition & number of functional & accessible teats
  • Wherever possible foster out of a litter the heavier, stronger, more vigorous & healthy piglets that clearly have full bellies
  • If a second round of cross-fostering is needed 4-7 days later try to move weaker piglets onto nurse sows that were about to be weaned & culled
  • Perform heat detection each morning & ensure female is solidly on heat before allowing boar into the pen
  • If a good standing heat is not obtained after 20-30 seconds of boar courtship remove the sow & re-test her 12 hours later
  • For sows on heat 1-5 days after weaning give first mating in the afternoon of first detection & again at 24 hour intervals while she remains in good standing heat (N.B. don't force standing heats in sows that are going off heat – see vulval discharge problems - & don't give more than 3 matings).
  • For gilts, sows on heat 6+ days after weaning, & sows returning to service after breeding give first mating in the morning at first detection & again at 24 hour intervals while she remains in good standing heat (N.B. don't force standing heats in sows that are going off heat & don't give more than 3 matings).
  • Use a fertile boar – keep records & cull on poor farrowing rate or low litter size
  • Don't overuse boars – for boars of 8—10 months allow 2 matings/week rising to 4/week at 10-12 months & then 6/week thereafter. N.B. These 6 matings may occur over a period as short as 3 days.
  • Cull boars at a maximum of 2.5-3 years of age
  • Provide good mating conditions – pen of at least 3 x 3m2 with a non-slip floor, vertical (not horizontal bars) & no protrusions
  • Size match the boar to the sow as much as possible
  • Wherever possible use a designated mating pen rather than the boar's home pen
  • Supervise all matings & assist the boar to gain access to the sow's hind quarters & subsequent intromission (N.B. don't handle the boar's prepuce)
  • Only count a mating if it lasts for longer than 2.5-3 minutes. Shorter matings should be repeated 1-2 hours later
  • N.B. 90%+ of all conception/pregnancy failures are due to either the sow or the inseminator & not the quality of semen provided
  • Perform heat detection each morning in the presence of a boar
  • If a good standing heat is not obtained after 20-30 seconds of boar courtship remove the sow & re-test her 12 hours later
  • For sows on heat 1-5 days after weaning give first insemination in the afternoon of first detection & again at 24 hour intervals while she remains in good standing heat (N.B. don't force standing heats in sows that are going off heat – see vulval discharge problems - & don't give more than 3 matings).
  • For gilts, sows on heat 6+ days after weaning, & sows returning to service after breeding give first insemination in the morning at first detection & again at 24 hour intervals while she remains in good standing heat (N.B. don't force standing heats in sows that are going off heat & don't give more than 3 matings).
  • Ensure semen doses are stored at 16-19°C & are gently turned twice daily
  • Even with semen doses diluted with 5, 7, 10 or 14 day extenders wherever possible use them for only 72 hours after they have been collected
  • Transfer semen dose to the breeding shed in an insulated container
  • Ensure the on heat sow is in head-to-head contact with a mature boar (at least 10 months or age & performing regular matings) during insemination
  • Ensure that the catheter is inserted at a 45° upward direction & a lock is obtained into the sow's cervix
  • Attach the semen container to the catheter
  • If semen flow is initially slow give the container a gentle squeeze
  • If this doesn't permit semen flow partially withdraw the catheter & re-position it locking into the cervix
  • Allow all the semen to exit the container & leave the catheter in position for a further 5 minutes
  • If the sow is to be relocated after insemination leave her in place for a further 5 minutes after catheter removal to minimise semen backflow
  • Record the quality of the insemination & the name of the inseminator (N.B. Sow performance drops rapidly once an inseminator has performed more than 12-15 inseminations in succession).
  • Only follow this strategy if you plan to have staff present during the farrowing – see attended farrowing strategy
  • Know the average pregnancy length for your herd & don't treat any gilt or sow more than 2 days earlier than this
  • Treat with any commercially available prostaglandin, although you may wish to give preference to one that contains a synthetic rather than natural prostaglandin
  • This treatment is normally given as a single injection of the prostaglandin at a dose level which is recommended on the bottle. Such treatment usually results in approximately 80% of sows farrowing the next day during working hours. You may wish to discuss with your veterinarian splitting this single prostaglandin dose into two half doses, these being given on the morning & afternoon before you wish the sow to farrow. Commercial experience suggests this method of use usually results in approximately 95% of sows farrowing the next day during working hours.
  • If the interval between piglet births exceeds 20 minutes manually stimulate the vagina to release oxytocin
  • If this doesn't result in a birth within 10 minutes conduct an internal examination
  • If a piglet is blocking birth manually deliver it, if no piglet is blocking treat the sow with oxytocin
  • After birth free newborn piglets from foetal membranes
  • Clear mucus from the piglet's mouth & throat to prevent suffocation
  • Attempt to resuscitate apparently dead piglets
  • Assist all piglets to reach the udder & suckle
  • Remove piglets from a nervous sow during farrowing & keep them warm