Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T21:31:44.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A note on the efficacy of continuous v. limited boar exposure on puberty attainment in the gilt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. N. Kirkwood
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

Thirty Large White × (Landrace × Large White) gilts were allocated to one of three treatments such that one gilt from each of 10 litters was on each treatment. The treatments were: (i) continuous boar exposure (CB); (ii) 30-min daily boar exposure (DB); and (iii) control, which had no boar exposure (NB). The experiment started at a gilt age of 165 days, and continued until either puberty was detected or a cut-off age of 250 days was reached.

The results indicate no significant difference in age at puberty between the CB and DB groups (194·6 v. 198·7 days), although both were significantly younger at puberty than the NB group (232·1 days, P<0·01). A possible ‘boar age’ effect is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1980

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. 1972. The occurrence of testosterone and 5a dihydrotestosterone in the submaxillary salivary gland of the boar. J. Endocr. 55: 119125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Booth, W. D. 1975. Changes with age in the occurrence of C19 steroids in the testis and submaxillary gland of the boar. J. Reprod. Fert. 42: 459472.Google Scholar
Booth, W. D., Hay, M. F. and Dott, H. M. 1973. Sexual dimorphism in the submaxillary gland of the pig. J. Reprod. Fert. 33: 163166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brooks, P. H. and Cole, D. J. A. 1969. The effect of boar presence on the age at puberty of gilts. Rep. Sch. Agric. Univ. Nott., pp. 7477.Google Scholar
Brooks, P. H. and Cole, D. J. A. 1970. The effect of the presence of a boar on the attainment of puberty in gilts. J. Reprod. Fert. 23: 435440.Google Scholar
Hughes, P. E. and Cole, D. J. A. 1976. Reproduction in the gilt. 2. The influence of gilt age at boar introduction on attainment of puberty. Anim. Prod. 23: 8994.Google Scholar
Katkov, T., Booth, W. D. and Gower, D. B. 1972. The metabolism of 16-androstenes in boar salivary glands. Biochim. biophys. Ada 270: 546556.Google Scholar
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: 231238.Google Scholar