Assisted Reproduction Using a Bottle or Tube with a Foam Catheter Link to word file
Remove boar for 1 hour	Good lighting is essential for mating	Collect semen and catheters. Store in semen cooler at 17°C
Boar exposure one on one (or small group)	Allow courtship	Boar stimulation in saliva – within 1 metre
Check signs of standing reflex within 30 seconds on meeting boar	Ensure vulva clean If vulva dirty clean carefully. Do not enter	Ideally wear clean gloves
Mix semen in bottle or tube. Collect catheter. Push end through single sleeve	Catheter gel not necessary in sow in oestrus. Gilts generally necessary	Part vulval lips
Insert catheter into vulva point the catheter end up to avoid entering the bladder	Do not insert in a downwards angle to avoid entering bladder Anatomy link	Push up to end of cervix
Withdrawal slightly and then reinsert. There should slight resistance towards pulling back	Apply tube or bottle to the catheter. Keep sleeve on the catheter if possible	Fill catheter with semen by applying light pressure on the bottle or tube
	May be necessary to put a small hole in the end of the bottle from an 18 gauge needle to assist semen draw into the sow or gilt. With the tube this should be unnecessary. Semen should not run out of vulva
Allow sow to draw semen into reproductive tract		Once AI bottle empty, remove from catheter
Seal the end of the catheter. Leave catheter in place for 10-15 minutes	Remove catheter and mark mated sow. Dispose of catheter and bottle cleanly	Mating must be completed within 10 minutes of presence of boar

Assisting the gilt or sow to stand during insemination