Dynamic Mating
A method of mating practice in outdoor units
relying on the natural mating capacities of boars.
Place
one boar with up to 5 sows/gilts.
The system places newly weaned sows or in heat gilts each week into a group of
established sows or gilts. The same number of sows or gilts are removed weekly to maintain the
group size.
Example based on a group of 20 females and 3
or 4 boars |
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Remove 2 females at
10 weeks of pregnancy from the dynamic group |
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Pregnancy check
removed females visually check for pregnancy and/or by Doppler |
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10 weeks pregnant –
dropped belly |
24 hours scan |
45 days scan |
70+ days scan |
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If the female is not
at 10 weeks of pregnancy: either cull or return to the paddock noting and
recording the stage of pregnancy as determined by ultrasound. |
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Identify the newly
introduced females with a coloured ear button. The use of 6 different colours and the two
ears provide up to 12 different identities. |
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Place 2 sows at
weaning or 2 gilts predicted to cycle into the paddock |
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Do not mix sow and
gilt paddocks or lameness in the younger animals will occur |
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The newly introduced
females are likely to sleep outside the main shelter for a few days |
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Watch for the signs
of oestrus and ideally mating in the introduced females |
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Watch of signs of
oestrus in all the females, particularly 3 weeks post-introduction. Note what are the two colours of the week. 6 colours 3 week oestrus periods. |
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