UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE NUEVO LEÓN

FACULTAD DE AGRONOMÍA

PIA-REPRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUE IN SOWS

STUDENT
FERNANDO MATAMOROS ORONA

I.D.
1943894

GROUP
A7A

TEACHER
DANIEL BORJAS CISNEROS

SUBJECT
COMPETENCIA COMUNICATIVA EN INGLÉS

Monterrey, Nuevo León, México november 16th 2021

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Introduction
Within the livestock world, one of the main objectives is to have a high pregnancy rate in
females, since the product will be sold from these and thus have a profitable business. For this, it
seeks to have techniques and methodologies to have this rate at an optimal level and have better
results. Animals are known to be naturally prone to procreating through practices that involve
intercourse. Currently, the livestock sector is looking for a better method than natural mounting,
that is, the door is opened for artificial insemination. Briefly, artificial insemination consists of
the deposition of semen in the reproductive system of females without necessarily having a male,
that is, the semen is kept in straws. In this work, it will be explained about artificial insemination,
as well as the knowledge that must be had for the proper performance of this method.

Development
Artificial insemination in sows was practiced in Russia by Ivanow in 1907. The use of this
reproductive method has become widespread in the last decade as a consequence of the
development of genetic improvement programs. It is worth mentioning that it allows greater use
of new superior genetics, at a potentially lower cost in relation to natural breeding and with less
risk of disease transmission.

To use it correctly, certain knowledge and training of the animal species of interest is needed.
This is in order to have adequate pregnancy rate returns. It is important to know:
● Reproductive anatomy and physiology of the sow.
● Sow the estrous cycle.
● Heat detection
○ The right time for artificial insemination.
● Neuroendocrine control of the estrous cycle.
● Insemination techniques.

Reproductive anatomy and physiology of the sow

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 ● Ovaries: They are located in the adult sow in the abdominal cavity, close to the kidneys.
They are oval organs of 3 to 5 cm in length, their shape is similar to a bunch of grapes due
to the existence of a large number of follicles (10-25) or corpora lutea.
● Oviducts: They are two funnel-shaped ducts with a length of 15 to 30 centimeters,
essential for the transport of the ovum to the uterine cavity, together with the cilia of the
mucosa epithelium. It is divided into three parts: Infundibular, Ampullary, and Isthmic.
● Uterus: Fertilized eggs or embryos are displaced from the oviduct to the interior of the
uterus. There are included glands whose secretion nourishes the embryo during the early
stages of its development.
● Vagina: It communicates the vulva with the neck, it is divided into the vaginal body and
the vestibule of the vagina, the inner lining is a very folded mucosa with a large number
of mucous glands.
● Vulva: It consists of two lips and a vestibule. The lips are joined by a rounded upper
corner and a very sharp lower corner. Immediately in front of it is the clitoris. The
vestibule of the vulva is 7.5 centimeters long.

Sow estrous cycle

The adult sow is jealous every 20 to 21 days throughout the year. It is necessary to bear in mind
that there is less sexual activity towards the end of summer and fall, due to reproductive
seasonality. The heat cycle is made up of four phases, which are:
● Proestro
○ It lasts 2 to 3 days, the growth and maturation of follicles begins, of which 10 to
20 continue their development until ovulation. External symptoms such as vulvar
redness and discharge appear. Internally, the follicle develops in the ovary,
increasing estrogenic secretion and initiating the preparation of the tubular organs
and the vulva. As the heat period approaches, the sows try to mount their mates
● Estro
○ It lasts from 2 to 3 days, with external symptoms such as vulvar inflammation,
mucous secretions in the corner of the vulva, the female grunts frequently, eats

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 little and is restless, it can be aggressive and the most characteristic immobility
(lordosis), which is used for mounting or artificial insemination. Between 26 and
40 hours after the start of the heat, ovulation must occur, it is the most important
phase of the estrous cycle because it is the moment when mating takes place.
● Metaestro
○ It lasts about 6 days, at which point the corpus luteum is organized and
progesterone production begins. The hyperemia of the mucous membranes and the
secretion of the glands in them decreases, gradually disappearing until its totality
the immobility reflex.
● Diestro
○ It lasts about 9 days, with a predominance of progesterone production, if gestation
does not occur at the end, the regression of the corpus luteum begins, decreasing
the level of circulating progesterone in the blood, starting the maturation of new
follicles, and with it the beginning of a new cycle. estral

Heat detection
Detecting estrus is very important to carry out insemination since it is the moment when the sow
is receptive. The most used way is timely visualization, detailing the physical characteristics of
the external genitalia and changes in behavior. Some signs are:
● Mucus on the vulva
● Snarl
● Mutual ride with other companions
● Nervousness
● Loss of appetite
● The intense coloration on the vulva
● Immobility reflex

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The most important sign is the immobilization reflex in response to the mounting of an external
agent, sows in heat allow manual pressure to be made on their backs. The best time to service a
sow is considered to be the second day of heat, six to twelve hours before ovulation occurs.

Insemination techniques
● Intracervical insemination
The diluted semen is deposited in the anterior part of the cervix with catheter tubes that have a
spiral-shaped head, 54 cm long.
● Postcervical insemination
Semen is deposited directly into the body of the uterus. This allows fertilization in both horns.
For this, a longer, thinner, and the more flexible cannula is used than a conventional catheter.
● Deep intrauterine insemination
The objective is to deposit the semen is only one of the horns, as close as possible to the
uterine-tubal junction. This makes bilateral fertilization extremely difficult, so prolificacy may be
reduced. It is very important to maintain high levels of hygiene since the introduction of a
contaminated catheter can cause severe endometritis.

Advantages of artificial insemination:

● Rapid genetic progress, improving yields by using stallions of higher genetic value,
obtaining a faster improvement in pig farms.
● It allows controlling the sperm quality of stallions that are subject to multiple
environmental, management, and health effects
● Reduction of the risk of transmission and appearance of infectious diseases by sexual
means.
● Saving time and effort by avoiding natural mounting and the displacement of the
reproducers
● Stress reduction
● Reduction in the number of pigs saving space and maintenance costs.

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Disadvantages of artificial insemination:
● Exposure of semen to environmental factors
● It requires adequate heat detection to establish the optimal time for insemination.

Conclusión
Finally, you can see a great importance that artificial insemination has had today. In other words,
this has significantly helped to save time, make genetic improvements, better pregnancy rates,
and an improvement in animal health, among other advantages. It is worth mentioning that
artificial insemination is a technique that involves the staff to be trained and thus have the best
results.

Referencias:
● Torrentes, R., Torrez, K., Venegas, D., López, J. & Guevara, L. (2013). “Manual de
inseminación artificial porcina”. Recuperado de:
https://cenida.una.edu.ni/textos/NL10U58.pdf
● Arisnabarreta, E. & Allende, R. (s.f.). “Manual de inseminación artificial en porcinos”.
Recuperado de:
http://www.ciavt.com.ar/uploads/Banner/72/MANUAL-DE-INSEMINACION-ARTIFICI
AL-EN-PORCINOS-Arisnabarreta-Allende.pdf
● Coz, P. (2007). “La inseminación de la cerda”. Recuperado de:
https://www.3tres3.com/articulos/la-inseminacion-de-la-cerda_4033/
● Lloveras, M. (s.f.). “Pasos para hacer la inseminación artificial en Cerdas” Recuperado
de:
http://www.ciap.org.ar/Sitio/Archivos/Pasos%20para%20hacer%20la%20Inseminacion%
20Artificial%20en%20Cerdas.pdf
● Bravo, O. (s.f.). “Inseminación artificial en cerdos”. Recuperado de:
https://inta.gob.ar/sites/default/files/script-tmp-inta_-_inseminacin_artificial_en_cerdos.p
df