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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: August 25, 2023
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Too late or too soon? The replacement gilt paradox
1Fibra, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
Animal Reproduction
|October 18, 2024
Summary
High annual culling rates necessitate replacement gilts for pig farms. Optimizing gilt puberty and selecting for traits like litter size and uterine capacity enhances lifetime productivity and reduces premature culling.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Reproductive Biology
- Swine Production
Background:
- High annual culling rates in commercial pig farms create a constant demand for replacement gilts.
- Delayed puberty in gilts is linked to increased risks of reproductive failure and locomotor issues, leading to premature culling.
- Selecting gilts for optimal reproductive performance is crucial for farm profitability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore methods for inducing and optimizing gilt puberty.
- To identify biological predictors and risk factors associated with gilt reproductive success.
- To determine optimal selection criteria for gilts to maximize lifetime productivity and cost-effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- Review of current practices for gilt puberty induction, including boar exposure and hormonal therapies.
- Analysis of factors influencing gilt reproductive performance and longevity.
- Evaluation of selection strategies focusing on litter size, uterine capacity, and teat number.
Main Results:
- Early boar exposure, steroid hormone therapy, and chorionic gonadotropin administration can induce puberty.
- Identifying biological predictors can optimize puberty attainment and reduce culling risks.
- Selecting gilts based on litter size after two parities, uterine capacity, and functional teat number improves lifetime productivity.
Conclusions:
- Strategic management of gilt puberty and selection based on key reproductive traits are essential for efficient swine production.
- Optimizing gilt development and selection can mitigate economic losses associated with premature culling.
- Lifetime productivity is maximized by considering cumulative performance and cost-effectiveness over multiple parities.
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