title: Relationship between vaginal mucus conductivity and time of ovulation in weaned sows.
abstract: This study investigated whether changes in the vaginal electrical resistance (VER) of vaginal mucus of weaned sows during the first 7 d post-weaning are associated with time of ovulation. Time of ovulation was determined by ovarian ultrasound carried out from 91 to 146 h after weaning and at different seasons. Vaginal electrical resistance was measured at 20, 44, 68, 91, 96, 102, 115, 120, 126, 140, 146, and 164 h post-weaning and was found to decrease between 120 h and 31 h before ovulation and then increase until 40 to 50 h after ovulation. Duration and timing of the nadir was affected by the season (P < 0.01). Estrus was observed from day 4 after the lowest VER values. Ovulation occurred between late day 5 and late day 6, while VER values were still increasing. Ovulation was earlier in lower parity sows (P < 0.001). Compared to 0 h (ovulation time), VER was significantly lower from 50 to 5 h before ovulation in autumn and from 40 to 21 h in winter, but such differences were not seen in spring. Lowest VER value was not correlated with time of ovulation. It was concluded that VER increases before ovulation and, although this increase is influenced by the season, it cannot be used to accurately predict ovulation in weaned sows.
authors: Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leon, Leon, Spain (Hidalgo, Manjarin, Dominguez); Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cassar, Friendship); School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia (Kirkwood).
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Hidalgo
authors: Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leon, Leon, Spain (Hidalgo, Manjarin, Dominguez); Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cassar, Friendship); School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia (Kirkwood).
authors: Glen
authors: G
authors: Cassar
authors: Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leon, Leon, Spain (Hidalgo, Manjarin, Dominguez); Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cassar, Friendship); School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia (Kirkwood).
authors: Rodrigo
authors: R
authors: Manjarin
authors: Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leon, Leon, Spain (Hidalgo, Manjarin, Dominguez); Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cassar, Friendship); School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia (Kirkwood).
authors: Juan C
authors: JC
authors: Dominguez
authors: Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leon, Leon, Spain (Hidalgo, Manjarin, Dominguez); Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cassar, Friendship); School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia (Kirkwood).
authors: Robert M
authors: RM
authors: Friendship
authors: Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leon, Leon, Spain (Hidalgo, Manjarin, Dominguez); Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cassar, Friendship); School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia (Kirkwood).
authors: Roy N
authors: RN
authors: Kirkwood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D009093:Mucus / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*; D014886:Weaning