title: Embryonic survival at day 9, 21 and 35 of pregnancy in intact and unilaterally oviduct ligated multiparous sows.
abstract: To investigate the effect of uterine space on timing of embryonic mortality, multiparous sows were left intact (CTR; n=42) or subjected to unilateral oviduct ligation (LIG; n=23), after their first post wean oestrus. Intact sows were killed at day 9 (n=10), day 21 (n=15), or day 35 (n=17), and LIG sows were killed at day 21 (n=11) or day 35 (n=12) of gestation. At day 9, 92% of ovulations were represented by an embryo. At day 21, embryonic mortality was 24% and was not altered by increasing uterine space. At day 35, space per embryo was twice as large in LIG sows (30±3 v. 16±0.8 cm), and implantation length tended to be larger (19.0±1.2 v. 15.5±1.3 cm). Between day 21 and day 35, CTR sows lost another 8% to 14% of their embryos, whereas LIG sows lost none. Embryos tended to be heavier (4.9±0.2 v. 4.3±0.3 g) in LIG sows. In conclusion, embryonic loss in multiparous sows is 24% by day 21 and is not related to space, whereas after day 21 limited space causes additional 8% to 14% embryonic mortality in intact sows only.
authors.affiliation: 1South Australian Research and Development Institute,Roseworthy Campus,Roseworthy 5371,South Australia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langendijk
authors.affiliation: 1South Australian Research and Development Institute,Roseworthy Campus,Roseworthy 5371,South Australia.
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 2School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences,The University of Adelaide,Roseworthy Campus,Roseworthy 5371,South Australia.
authors.forename: R Z
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Athorn
authors.affiliation: 1South Australian Research and Development Institute,Roseworthy Campus,Roseworthy 5371,South Australia.
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Bouwman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D008026:Ligation / Q000662:veterinary; D008136:Longevity; D010057:Oviducts / Q000601:surgery*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology
keywords: crowding; embryo; sows; survival; uterine