title: Replenishment of AI-doses with oestrogens in physiological amounts: effect on sow prolificacy in a field trial.
abstract: Basing on results about physiological functions of seminal oestrogens in the genital tract of sows, the effects of an oestrogen replenishment to AI-doses were investigated in a field trial. Each ejaculate was split into two halves, which were either diluted to normal AI-doses (controls, n = 353) or diluted and replenished with oestrogens in physiological amounts (n = 384). Insemination by qualified technicians led to an improvement of the pregnancy rate (82.8% vs. 77.1%; p less than 0.05) and the litter size (10.8% vs. 10.3%; p less than 0.05) in favour of the oestrogen replenishment. These results partly explain the known differences in prolificacy between natural mating and AI and thus provide a basis for improvement of pig AI.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moshammer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aumüller
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Weiler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens