ABSTRACT. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of the number of matings and services with reproductive performance in high-performing and ordinary herds. The data included 113,265 service and 92,248 farrowing records in 117 herds. A service included single or more matings of a female pig (female) during a 10-day estrus period. Two herd groups were built on the basis of the upper 25th percentile of pigs weaned per mated female per year: high-performing ( 22.8 pigs) and ordinary herds. Mixed-effects models were used to analyze reproductive performance. Relative frequencies (%) of single, double and triple or more matings were 3.4, 27.4, and 69.2% in high-performing herds, respectively, and were 4.6, 59.3 and 36.1% in ordinary herds, respectively. Percentages of reserviced females in high-performing and ordinary herds were 7.3 and 13.0%, respectively. Triple or more-mated (TM) gilts had 3.5% higher farrowing rates than double-mated (DM) gilts (P<0.01), but similar pigs born alive (PBA) to DM gilts in the first service group in both the herd groups. In the first service group, TM sows had 0.8% higher farrowing rates and 0.2 more PBA than DM sows in high-performing herds (P<0.01). In the reservice group, TM gilts and TM sows had farrowing rate similar to DM gilts and DM sows in highperforming herds. In conclusion, performing triple matings was a better practice for first-serviced females than performing double matings. Double matings may be sufficient for reserviced females. Performing double or triple matings during estrus is a well-recommended practice in commercial swine herds [1,2]. There is a controversial difference between double and triple matings in subsequent reproductive performance, although timing of mating is critical for maximizing performance [3]. Triple-mated (TM) sows have more pigs born alive (PBA) than double-mated (DM) sows [18]. In contrast, TM sows have PBA similar to DM sows in commercial herds [20]. The impact of the number of matings on economic returns is immense in the swine industry, because a cost of $10.93 per mating is estimated [9].Reserviced females have shorter estrus duration, a lower farrowing rate, and more PBA than first serviced females [15,16]. However, few studies have reported a difference between reserviced DM and TM females in farrowing rate and PBA in commercial herds.Mating management in high-performing herds is different from that in ordinary herds [8]. Impact of double and triple matings on subsequent reproductive performance may differ between high-performing herds and ordinary herds. Additionally, productivity measurements in high-performing herds are used as improvement goals in swine production to set benchmarks [6,7]. Mating measurements in high-performing herds can be a benchmark for swine producers [5].The objectives of this study were to characterize farm practices of the number of matings and to investigate the associations of the number of matings and the number of services with reproductive performance in high-performing herds and ord...
herd entry were removed earlier than well-conformed gilts. The objectives of the present study were to apply leg structure scores (LSS) to examine the leg structures in stalled females, to assess the occurrence of poor leg structures, to investigate any associations between LSS and backfat thickness or behavior, and to compare the survival probabilities between LSS groups. A commercial farm equipped with a computerized recording system was visited six times over two years to record the LSS in the four legs of stalled females. The structures were scored by trained evaluators when a female was standing in a gestation stall. In our scoring method (POOR or OK), the POOR leg structure was defined as buck-kneed front legs, sickle-hocked hind legs or post-legged hind legs. Females having at least one POOR leg were classified into the POOR group and the other females were classified into the OK group. We recorded the relative frequencies () of three types of postural behavior (standing, sitting or lying) and vacuum chewing in stalled females by point sampling at-minute intervals over a six hour period when the leg evaluators were recording LSS during our farm visits. Linear mixed-e ects models and survival analysis were performed. The mean value (SEM) of observed parity for the , four-leg observations in females was. .. Relative frequencies in the POOR and OK groups were. and. , respectively. LSS was recorded more than twice in. (females) of the females. The LSS in. (females) of these females did not change across parity. Proportions of females having the POOR leg structures in parity , , , and were lower than those in parity and sows (P .). No di erences were found between the LSS groups for hazards of culling, backfat measurements or any types of behavior of females (P .). In summary, stalled females having POOR or OK leg scores similarly survived. Furthermore, the LSS of stalled females was not related to backfat thickness or behavior.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.