Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T19:49:10.284Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of daily movement of gilts and the environment in which boar exposure occurs on the efficacy of boar-induced precocious puberty in the gilt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

G. P. Pearce  and
P. E. Hughes
G. P. Pearce
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
P. E. Hughes
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Get access

Abstract

To examine the influence of boar exposure environment and daily movement on the efficacy of boar-induced precocious puberty in the gilt, 60 Large White × (Large White × Landrace) prepubertal gilts from 12 litters were randomly allocated within litter to five treatment groups of six, in two replicates, at 145 days of age. Treatments were (1) control (no movement or boar exposure), (2) gilts moved to a boar pen and exposed to a mature boar, (3) gilts moved to a different pen and exposed to a boar, (4) gilts moved to a different pen only, (5) gilts moved to a vacated boar pen. Treatments occurred for 30 min/day for 75 days, or until pubertal oestrus was observed. Gilts showing pubertal oestrus were removed and slaughtered. Ovaries were examined to confirm reproductive status. Gilts failing to exhibit oestrus by 240 days of age were slaughtered and nominally ascribed a pubertal age of 245 days. Age at puberty was significantly earlier (P < 0·001) in treatments 2 and 3 involving boar exposure than in treatments 1, 4 and 5 not involving boar exposure. No significant difference was observed in the median gilt age at puberty between the two forms of boar exposure used in this experiment. Thus the efficacy of the boar effect does not appear to be significantly affected by the environment in which exposure to the boar takes place. Additionally, it is suggested that the stress of a daily pen change is insufficient to stimulate precocious puberty in gilts in the absence of boar contact.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , February 1985 , pp. 161 - 167
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1985

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Booth, W. D, 1975. Changes with age in the occurrence of C,19 steroids in the testis and submaxillary gland of the boar. J. Reprod. Fen. 42: 459–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourn, Phyllis, Carlson, R., Lantz, Biryle and Zimmerman, D. R. 1974. Age at puberty in gilts as influenced by age at boar exposure and transport. J. Anim. Sci. 39: 987 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Bourn, Phyllis, Kinsey, R., Carlson, R. and Zimmerman, D. R. 1976. Puberty in gilts as influenced by boar exposure and “transport phenomenon”. J. Anim. Sci. 41: 344 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Bronson, F. H. and Desjardins, C. 1974. Circulating concentrations of FSH, LH, estradiol and progesterone associated with acute male-induced puberty in female mice. Endocrinology 94: 1658–1668.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bronson, F. H. and Maruniak, J. A. 1976. Differential effects of male stimuli on follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin secretion in pubertal female mice. Endocrinology 98: 1101–1108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, P. H. and COLL:, D. J. A. 1970. The effect of the presence of a boar on the attainment of puberty in gilts. J. Reprod. Fen. 23: 435–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dantzer, R. and Mormedr, P. 1981. Can physiological criteria be used to assess welfare in pigs? Curr. Topics Vet. Anim. Sci. 11: 53–73.Google Scholar
Eastham, Phillipa R. and Cole, D. J. A. 1983. The influence of boar presence and transport on the attainment of puberty in gilts. Anim. Prod. 36: 519 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Hughes, P. E. 1982. Factors affecting the natural attainment of puberty in the gilt. In Control of Pig Reproduction (ed. Foxcroft, G. R. and Cole, D. J. A.), pp. 117–138. Butterworth, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, P. E. and Cole, D. J. A. 1976. Reproduction in the gilt. 2. The influence of gilt age at boar introduction on the attainment of puberty. Anim. Prod. 23: 89–94.Google Scholar
Hughes, P. E. and Cole, D. J. A. 1978. Reproduction in the gilt. 3. The effect of exogenous oestrogen on the attainment of puberty and subsequent reproductive performance. Anim. Prod. 27: 11–20.Google Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Forbes, J. M. and Hughes, P. E. 1981. The influence of boar contact on attainment of puberty in gilts after removal of the olfactory bulbs. J. Reprod. Fert. 61: 193–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirkwood, R. N. and Hughes, P. E. 1979. The influence of age at first boar contact on puberty attainment in the gilt. Anim. Prod. 29: 231–238.Google Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N. and Hughes, P. E. 1980. A note on the influence of ‘boar effect’ component stimuli on puberty attainment in the gilt. Anim. Prod. 31: 209–211.Google Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Hughes, P. E. and Booth, W. D. 1983. The influence of boar-related odours on puberty attainment in gilts. Anim. Prod. 36: 131–136.Google Scholar
Scheimann, C. A., England, D. C. and Kennkk, W. H. 1976. Initiating estrus in prepubertal confinement gilts. J. Anim. Sci. 43: 210 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Signoret, J. P. 1970. Reproductive behaviour of pigs. J. Reprod.'Fert. Suppl. 11, pp. 105–117.Google Scholar
Vandenurrgh, J. G. 1969. Male odour accelerates female sexual maturation in mice. Endocrinology 84: 658–660.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zimmerman, D. R., Bourn, P. and Donovan, D. 1976. Effect of “transport phenomenon” stimuli and boar exposure on puberty in gilts. J. Anim. Sci. 42: 1362 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Zimmerman, D. R., Carlson, R. and LANTZ, BERYLE. 1974. The influence of exposure to the boar and movement on pubertal development in the gilt. J. Anim. Sci. 39: 230 (Abstr.).Google Scholar