The importance of exposure environment and movement in boar-induced precocious puberty in the gilt

Extract

Puberty attainment in the gilt has been shown to be stimulated both by contact with a mature boar and by exposure to stressful situations such as relocation and transportation. It is not clear whether the pen housing the boar represents a puberty-inducing stimulus or whether the stimulus of movement enhances the pubertal response to boar contact. This experiment was therefore designed to examine the influence of boar exposure environment and movement on the efficacy of boar-induced precocious puberty attainment in the gilt.