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

 

Remove 2 females at 10 weeks of pregnancy from the dynamic group

 

Pregnancy check removed females visually check for pregnancy and/or by Doppler

10 weeks pregnant – dropped belly

24 hours scan

45 days scan

70+ days scan

 

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.

 

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.

 

Place 2 sows at weaning or 2 gilts predicted to cycle into the paddock

 

Do not mix sow and gilt paddocks or lameness in the younger animals will occur

     

 

The newly introduced females are likely to sleep outside the main shelter for a few days

 

Watch for the signs of oestrus and ideally mating in the introduced females

       

 

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.