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IS ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION FOR YOU?

During the past several years, the swine industry has begun to re-examine the use of artificial insemination (AI) as a breeding management alternative. The two most important circumstances contributing to this renewed interest in AI are the increasing size of the "average" swine operation and the selling of swine on carcass merit systems. Regardless of the motivation to incorporate AI into a breeding program, it is important to remember two things: The goal of this presentation is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of AI, to help make the decision whether or not AI will work in your operation.

Considering AI

The primary reason that producers consider using AI is for greater genetic improvement in their herds. By using AI fewer boars are needed, allowing you to focus on buying better boars and concentrating their influence in the herd. But because you are concentrating your genetic program on fewer boars it becomes much more important that the right boars are selected for the AI program.

What are the potential economic returns for making genetic improvement? For every .1 in (2.54 mm) reduction in backfat there is a 11.8 lb. reduction in the amount of feed required per pig per day and a $1.50 per head carcass premium. By reducing the number of days to market by 1 day, feed/pig/day is reduced by 3.1 lb. and fixed costs are reduced by $.17.

For example the difference in value between a boar (A) with a -.15 in EPD for backfat and a -3.5 EPD for days to 230 pounds and a boar (B) with a backfat EPD of 0 and a days to 230 EPD of -.5 can be obtained as follows:

Improved feed efficiency((0 - -.15) /.1) x 11.8 x $.08=$1.42
Improved growth rate((-.5 - -3.5) / 1) x 3.1 x $.08=$0.74
Less fixed costs((-.5 - -3.5) / 1) x $.17=$0.51
Carcass premiums(( 0 - -.15) / .1) x $1.50=$2.25
Advantage of boar A over boar B$4.92 per pig

If in a one year period each boar produced 500 offspring by natural service, Boar A would be worth an additional $2,460 over the purchase price for Boar B. If AI were used in the herd each boar could produce as many as 3,000 offspring in one year, then Boar A would be worth an $14,760 over the purchase price for Boar B. On the other hand if you purchased Boar B as an AI quality boar at an equal price to boar A you would not achieve these returns.

Also, by concentrating on fewer, superior sire lines more uniformity among the market hogs may be achieved. This will have a benefit in nutrition and management programs, especially weight sorting at market.

2. AI can also be considered for labor and facility savings. Several studies conducted on swine farms in North Carolina, demonstrate that the amount of labor the two breeding systems require depends on the number of females to be bred in a day. In these studies, any time more than four animals were bred in a day, the amount of labor required to supervise matings was significantly less with AI than for natural service. In addition, as the number of matings per day increased, so did the relative labor advantage of AI over natural service.

By using AI space in breeding and gestation barns may be gained that can be used to expand the sow herd. The recommended floor space for boars in confinement is 50 sq. ft. while breeding sows require 18 sq. ft. and gestating sows 15 sq. ft. For every boar pen that can be eliminated an additional 3 sow crates can be added. However, if sows are housed during breeding outside or in large groups mating by AI will require additional facilities where sows can be individually handled. The move to AI can be made most easily when sows are already being individually hand mated.

Scheduling and pig flow for all-in/ all-out production is also easier to maintain due to controlled breeding. If your herd size is small and you are in continuous production the benefit from AI will be reduced because semen should not be stored for more than 5 days, and then only when extended properly.

In addition there is less stress on the breeding herd because animals are handled individually and older boars can be used more extensively on lighter weight females.

3. The final reason that AI is considered is to reduce the risk of disease transmission, using AI promotes development of a closed herd. This makes it possible for any size operation to maintain a more effective disease control program and to bring new genetic material into the herd with minimum risk of introducing new disease organisms. This is a much more important consideration in operations like genetic multipliers, that must maintain strict health status.

Technical skills required for AI

Good management and record keeping are prerequisites to establishing an AI program. Remember, AI is a management tool not a substitute for good management. If the farrowing rate in your herd is 90% with natural service and you switch to AI, you can expect to achieve farrowing rates of approximately 90%. If your farm is only achieving farrowing rates of 70% using natural service, it is unlikely that an AI system will improve farrowing rates to 90%. The two systems share many of the same basics of good breeding management. Success with natural service usually leads to success with AI.

AI and record keeping go hand-in-hand. Without adequate records, it is nearly impossible to determine whether you are properly performing AI and maintaining optimal reproductive performance in the herd. You will also be forfeiting an invaluable tool to help you to select the animals to use in your breeding program: without records, you will have no way of knowing how well a boar is performing and determining those boars that should be culled.

The following technical skills specific to AI are also required:

Skills that are difficult but seem easy: Skills that are easy but seem difficult

Bottom Line

Proper use of AI can result in greater genetic improvement, labor and facility savings, and improved health status. To achieve the benefits of AI a high level of management is required. Remember, AI is a management tool that can provide benefits if used along with good management.

Additional Reading

* 1994. The Swine AI book: A field and laboratory technicians' guide to artificial insemination in swine.

M. Todd See, NCSU Extension Swine Specialist

Proceedings of Northeastern Regional Pork Conference, Edenton, NC, February 14, 1995

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Questions, comments or for additional information contact

tsee@ncsu.edu
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