title: Reproductive performance of high growth rate gilts inseminated at an early age.
abstract: The aim of this work was to determine if gilts, which have a high growth rate (GR) could be mated earlier without reducing the reproductive performance or increasing the culling rate up to the third parity. Gilts of Camborough 22 (C22, n=568) breeding were mated and allocated into three groups according to weight and age on the insemination day. G1 (n=164)-gilts with a GR>or=700 g/d and inseminated at <210 d. G2 (n=165)-gilts with a GR>or=700 g/d and inseminated at >or=210 d. G3 (n=239)-gilts with a GR<700 g/d and inseminated at >or=210 d. All females were fed ad libitum from 150 d on and were inseminated at their second estrus or later. The minimum weight at mating was 127 kg. Three parities were studied, with farrowing rate, litter size and culling rate being compared. At the first parity, G2 gilts produced, on average, one more piglet than the other groups (P<0.05). However, when analyzing three parities, there were no differences in total born (11.6 x 12.3 x 11.7), farrowing rate (87.1% x 88.7% x 89.8%) and culling rate (30.2% x 25.3% x 28.2%) among G1-G3 groups, respectively (P>0.05). In conclusion, gilts, which had a minimum weight of 127 kg can be inseminated at their second or greater estrus, between 185 and <210 d of age, without impairing their productive performance over three parities.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Suínos, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9090, CEP 90540 000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: Mari Lourdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wentz
authors.forename: Fernando Pandolfo
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Bortolozzo
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*