Variability in ejaculation rate and libido of boars during reproductive exploitation

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to evaluate variability in the ejaculation rate and libido of boars under various genetic and non-genetic influences. A total of 7171 semen samples were collected from Swedish Landrace, Large White and Duroc boars reared under commercial production conditions. Time spent in preparing or collecting, constituted the period from the entry of boars into the room for collecting semen to onset of ejaculation. Ejaculation rate was defined as the volume of sperm extracted (mL) per unit of time (min). The index of boar libido was defined as the relationship between productive (duration of ejaculation) and unproductive (time spent in preparing to collect/jump) periods. Average values of the interval between two collections, age of boar at collection, time spent in preparing for collection, duration of ejaculation, volume of ejaculate, rate of ejaculation and libido index were: 8.83 days, 551.2 days, 3.56 min, 6.06 min, 231.9 mL, 37.67 mL/min and 1.76, respectively. Ejaculate traits and libido varied according to breed, season and collector, with the exception of seasonal variability of duration of ejaculation. The regression effect of the interval between two collections of ejaculate and age of boar at collection was not statistically significant only for duration of preparing for collection. Unlike the ejaculation rate, during the summer and autumn periods, boars exhibited weaker libido than in winter and spring. Duroc boars were inferior to the fertile breeds (Swedish Landrace and Large White) in terms of shorter duration of ejaculation, lower volume, lowest rate of ejaculation and weakest libido. Variability of rate of ejaculation and of boar libido indicates the need to include these traits in breeding programmes and the possibility of improving these traits.

Ejaculate Collection Influences the Salivary Oxytocin Concentrations in Breeding Male Pigs

“…In this study, more Pietrain than Duroc boars showed increased oxytocin concentrations at T0. The weaker libido of Duroc boars compared with those of others breeds [44,45], as well as the lower total number of sperm and percentage of live sperm in the ejaculates compared with those of Pietrain boars [46], could explain the lower or non-existent increase in salivary oxytocin concentrations at ejaculation time. Furthermore, the age of boars is another influencing factor, as younger boars showed the highest salivary oxytocin concentrations during the ejaculate collection, while the older boars did not show changes between times.…”

Fertility of boars - what is important to know

“…It was assumed that longer duration of ejaculation and shorter preparatory time are indicators of a good libido (Savić and Petrović, 2015a). Preparing to collect is a non-productive period (NP) within the total manipulative time, which is calculated from when a boar enters the room with the dummy sow until the end of ejaculation.…”

Oksitosin ve PGF2α Enjeksiyonlarının Teke Sperma Kalitesi Üzerine Etkisi

“…The use of assisted reproductive techniques in goat breeding provides additional advantages for cryopreservation and artificial insemination [1] . In some cases, certain animals constantly have a high libido and good semen quality for evaluation, freezing or insemination, while others are reluctant for collection and have low quality ejaculates with decreased volume and concentration or other inadequate spermatological characteristics [2][3][4] . During the  İletişim (Correspondence)  +90 312 3170315/4409  ergakcay@gmail.com last decades, specific hormones (oxytocin, prostaglandins, testosterone and GnRH) were introduced to increase the sperm output, quality of male-related reproductive deficiencies and to regulate the breeding activity [5][6][7][8][9] .…”