What Should I Do When the Weaned Sows Do Not Cycle

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What Should I Do When the Weaned Sows Do Not
Cycle?

• Donald G. Levis, PhD
• Ohio Pork Industry Center
• The Ohio State University
• 122C Animal Sciences Building
• Columbus, OH 43210-1095
• Telephone [phone]
• Cell 614 404 7248
• E-mail levis.7_at_osu.edu

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Reproductive characteristics of sow ovaries at
weaning

Dr. Knox
Corpora albicans
Numerous small follicles
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From weaning follicles grow from small to large
Dr. Robert Knox, Univ. Illinois
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Express estrus and ovulate

Estrus Large Follicles
Ovulated
Dr. Knox
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Two types of actions if weaned sows do not cycle

• Short-term immediate remedy
• Long-term preventative remedy

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Weaned sows do not express a standing response
(estrus) due to

• Behavioral problem
• Active ovaries
• Silent estrus
• Inactive ovaries
• Insufficient follicular development
• Cystic follicles
• Persistent corpora lutea
• Problem Do not know what type of structures are
  on the ovary!

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Real-time ultrasound
Medical grade - Internal probe
Portable - External probe
Dr. Robert Knox, Univ. Illinois
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Image Quality of RTU Units

• Estrus Ovary at 7.5 MHz

Portable (6 to 8,000?)
Medical Grade (14 to 20,000?)
10 mm
Ovary Preovulatory Follicles
Dr. Robert Knox, Univ. Illinois
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Characteristics of a non-active ovary at time of
weaning
Therapy is PG600
Dr. Robert Knox, Univ. Illinois
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Cystic follicles
Normal ovary
Multiple cysts

• May show anestrus, short estrus, or long estrus
• Can account for 7 to 15 of reproductive failure
• Hormone therapy None cull

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Short-term immediate remedy

• Hormone therapy
• Increase exposure to mature boars
• Physical contact
• Twice per day
• Use smelly, aggressive boars
• Maximize volume of feed offered after weaning
• Group-house problem sows

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Weaning-to-estrous interval for primiparous and
multiparous sows (Norwegian Landrace)
IPVS, p 207, 1982.
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Long-term preventative remedies

• Appropriate management of feed intake during
  gestation

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Effect of gestation feed intake on voluntary
lactation feed intake of P1 sows
J. Anim. Sci. 751845-1852, 1997.
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Percentage of P1 sows returning to estrus after
weaning
J. Anim. Sci. 751845-1852, 1997.
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Long-term preventative remedies

• Appropriate management of feed intake during
  lactation
• Feed intake during the first 7 to 10 days of
  lactation is critical!
• ?Establishment of reproductive hormones start to
  occur

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Effect of lactation feed intake on
weaning-to-estrous interval (P1 sows)
WEI
7.8 d
15.5 d
14.6 d
21.2 d
25.0 d
29.8 d
Anim. Prod. 42119-125, 1986.
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Effect of lactation feed intake on
weaning-to-estrous interval (P1 sows)
a H high energy diet (16.5 Mcal ME/d) L low
energy diet (6.5 Mcal ME/d) b WEI is
weaning-to-estrous interval (days)
J. Anim. Sci. 741036-1046, 1996.
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Effect of lactation feed intake on
weaning-to-estrous interval (P1 sows)
Animal Reproduction Science 52153-163, 1998.
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Long-term preventative remedies

• Appropriate management of the ambient temperature
  in the farrowing facility during lactation

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Effect of ambient temperature on lactation feed
intake
J. Anim. Sci. 772124-2134, 1999.
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Effect of ambient temperature on lactation feed
intake and body weight loss
J. Anim. Sci. 772124-2134, 1999.
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Effect of water dripping system and snout cooler
on lactation feed intake of mixed parity sows
Plastic-coated, expanded metal floor 28-day
lactation
Snout cooler ON
Snout cooler OFF
(.53 gal/hr 3 min each 10 min.)
J. Anim. Sci. 66885-891, 1988.
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Effect of water dripping system and snout cooler
on lactation feed intake of mixed parity sows
Concrete floor, front rear slats 28-day
lactation
Snout cooler ON
Snout cooler OFF
(.53 gal/hr 3 min each 10 min.)
J. Anim. Sci. 66885-891, 1988.
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Long-term preventative remedies

• Appropriate management of sow body condition
  during
• Gestation
• Lactation

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Body Condition Score of Sows
Elanco Animal Health
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Elanco Animal Health
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Effect of backfat at time of farrowing on
lactation feed intake of P1 sows
BF _at_ wean, .75
BF _at_ wean, .85
(19 CP, 15.6 MJ DE/kg)
J. Anim. Sci 72 (Suppl 1)389, 1994.
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Effect of backfat depth at farrowing on
weaning-to-estrous interval
Animal Production 57437-445, 1993.
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Effect of fatness at farrowing and lactation feed
intake on estrous activity (P1 sows)
Anim. Prod. 48181-201, 1989.
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Effect of body weight of first litter sows at
weaning on weaning-to-estrous interval
Y 102.17 (1.0337 x BWkg) (.0027587 x
BWkg2) R2 .762
Manipulating Pig Production II, pp 285-301, 1989.
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Effect of backfat depth at weaning on
weaning-to-estrous interval
Animal Production 57437-445, 1993.
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Long-term preventative remedies

• Prevent short lactation lengths (lt14 days)
• Boar exposure
• Implement an excellent gilt development program

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The End
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