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Two experiments evaluated the ability of maternal fatty acid supplementation to alter conceptus and endometrial fatty acid composition. In Exp. 1, treatments were 1) the control, a corn-soybean meal diet; 2) flax, the control diet plus ground flax (3.75% of diet); and 3) protected fatty acids (PFA), the control plus a protected fish oil source rich in n-3 PUFA (Gromega, JBS United Inc., Sheridan, IN; 1.5% of diet). Supplements replaced equal parts of corn and soybean meal. When gilts reached 170 d of age, PG600 (PMSG and hCG, Intervet USA, Millsboro, DE) was injected to induce puberty, and dietary treatments (n = 8/treatment) were initiated. When detected in estrus, gilts were artificially inseminated. On d 40 to 43 of gestation, 7 gilts in the control treatment, 8 gilts in the PFA treatment, and 5 gilts in the flax treatment were pregnant and were slaughtered. Compared with the control treatment, the flax treatment tended to increase eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA: C20:5n-3) in fetuses (0.14 vs. 0.25 +/- 0.03 mg/g of dry tissue; P = 0.055), whereas gilts receiving PFA had more (P0.05) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA: C22:6n-3) in their fetuses (5.23 vs. 4.04 +/- 0.078 mg/g) compared with gilts fed the control diet. Both the flax and PFA diets increased (P0.05) DHA (0.60, 0.82, and 0.85 +/- 0.078 mg/g for the control, flax, and PFA diet, respectively) in the chorioallantois. In the endometrium, EPA and docosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3) were increased by the flax diet (P0.001; P0.05), whereas gilts receiving PFA had increased DHA (P0.001). The flax diet selectively increased EPA, and the PFA diet selectively increased DHA in the fetus and endometrium. In Exp. 2, gilts were fed diets containing PFA (1.5%) or a control diet beginning at approximately 170 of age (n = 13/treatment). A blood sample was collected after 30 d of treatment, and gilts were artificially inseminated when they were approximately 205 d old. Conceptus and endometrial samples were collected on d 11 to 19 of pregnancy. Plasma samples indicated that PFA increased (P0.005) circulating concentrations of EPA and DHA. Endometrial EPA was increased (P0.001) for gilts fed the PFA diet. In extraembryonic tissues, PFA more than doubled (P0.001) the EPA (0.13 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.013 mg/g) and DHA (0.39 vs. 0.85 +/- 0.05 mg/g). In embryonic tissue on d 19, DHA was increased (P0.05) by PFA (0.20 vs. 0.30 +/- 0.023 mg/g). Supplementing n-3 PUFA, beginning 30 d before breeding, affected endometrial, conceptus, and fetal fatty acid composition in early pregnancy. Dynamic day effects in fatty acid composition indicate this may be a critical period for maternal fatty acid resources to affect conceptus development and survival.

Maternal diet influences fetal growth and postnatal development. We hypothesized that conceptuses gestated in sows provided ad libitum vs. restricted feed intake would differ in the milieu of hormones, growth factors, nutrients, and metabolites associated with growth and metabolism. This hypothesis was tested in two experiments by providing fourth-parity sows (Pig Improvement Co. C15 bred to Line 326 boars) with either 1.81 kg/d (as-fed basis; control) or ad libitum access to gestation diet. In Exp. 1, control (n = 6) or ad libitum (6.4 +/- 0.11 kg/d; n = 9) treatments were provided from d 29 to 45 (onset of estrus is d 0), and sows were slaughtered on d 46. Ad libitum sows gained more weight from d 29 to 45 than controls (34.0 vs. 4.32 kg, respectively; P0.01). No differences were observed on d 46 for the number of fetuses, conceptus attachment length, allantoic + amniotic fluid volume, placental weight, fetal weight, and fetal crown-to-rump length. Variation in fetal crown-to-rump length was less (P0.03) in sows fed ad libitum. Sows fed ad libitum had greater (P0.01) IGF-I and insulin concentrations in plasma than controls on d 43. In Exp. 2, sows were fed 1.81 kg/d (n = 6) or ad libitum (7.0 +/- 0.11 kg/d; n = 4) from d 30 to 56 of gestation, when sows were anesthetized and samples were collected surgically from their gravid uteri. Sows fed ad libitum gained more weight (P0.01) than did controls and had more (P0.06) IGF-I in their plasma and the plasma collected from umbilical veins of their fetuses. No differences were found for concentrations of insulin or glucose in plasma of sows or fetuses, but urea N concentrations were greater (P0.05) in maternal plasma and in the plasma, and allantoic and amniotic fluids of conceptuses from sows fed ad libitum. Combined data from Exp. 1 and 2 revealed a treatment x fetal number interaction (P0.05) for average fetal weight. The expected negative relationship between within-litter average fetal weight and the number of fetuses per uterus was observed for control sows (y = 115.4 -1.75 x fetal number; P0.05), but litters of ad libitum sows did not show this effect. The hypothesis that providing feed in excess of established requirements in early gestation affects the in utero milieu is supported by these results. Data further reveal that, at least at mid-gestation, the restraint to fetal growth that is exhibited when fetal number increases in control sows is not exhibited when sows are fed ad libitum.

Polyspermic fertilization and embryo quality are important issues for the in vitro production of pig embryos. We hypothesized that oocyte donor (prepubertal gilt vs. sow) affects polyspermy and blastocyst development in vitro and that the sexual maturity of the oocyte donor affects the response to sperm concentration in the fertilization medium. In Exp. 1, oocytes of sows and gilts were mounted and stained 12 h after insemination to provide fertilization data. In Exp. 2, putative embryos were developed in vitro to 144 h post-insemination before mounting. In both experiments, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were collected from ovaries of prepubertal gilts and adult sows. Sperm were added after maturation of COC for 40 to 44 h. Sperm from two boars at 0.5 to 5.0 x 10(6) sperm/mL was used for insemination. More (P0.01) monospermic fertilizations were observed in oocytes derived from gilts than for oocytes from sows. There were fewer (P0.02) penetrated sperm per fertilized oocyte in oocytes from gilts compared with sows. There were effects of semen donor (boar) on the percentage of monospermic (P0.01) and polyspermic (P0.002) fertilizations, and on the number of penetrated sperm/fertilized oocyte (P0.02). In Exp. 2, cleavage and blastocyst formation was evaluated at 2 and 6 d postinsemination, respectively. More (P0.001) blastocysts developed from sow-derived oocytes than from gilt-derived oocytes. More (P0.05) total cells per blastocyst were observed in embryos from sow-derived oocytes than from gilt-derived oocytes. Semen donor affected the percentage of oocytes cleaving (P0.02), and a boar x sperm concentration interaction affected (P0.05) the incidence of blastocyt formation. Results indicate that sexual maturity of the donor is not responsible for the high incidence of polyspermy in porcine in vitro fertilization. However, blastocyst development is improved by the use of oocytes from sows rather than from prepubertal gilts.

A series of three experiments was conducted to test the functional status of the uterus and embryos in prepubertal gilts. In Exp. 1, gilts were induced to ovulate by treating with gonadotropins followed by hCG 72 or 96 h later, and were artificially inseminated 24 h after hCG. Five of the 10 gilts treated at 120 d of age, but none of the gilts treated at 100 of age, maintained pregnancies. We next tested the function of the uterine environment by transferring embryos from postpubertal females into gilts of various ages that had been induced to ovulate but not inseminated (Exp. 2). Pregnancy rate at d 50 of gestation was 44% (4/9) for 100-d-old recipients, 67% (2/3) for 140-d-old recipients, and 60% (3/5) for postpubertal recipients (P0.20). Therefore, uteri of 100-d-old gilts are able to maintain pregnancies with conceptuses from postpubertal gilts. In Exp. 3, embryos from 100-d-old and postpubertal gilts were transferred into postpubertal recipients. Uterine horns of recipients were surgically separated before transfer, and embryos from 100-d-old and post-pubertal females were transferred to opposite horns of some recipients (experimental). Other recipients received embryos from postpubertal females in both uterine horns (control). When examined on d 50 to 60 of gestation, three of five control gilts were pregnant and three of seven experimental gilts were pregnant (P0.50). In experimental recipients, the survival of embryos from 100-d-old gilts was 38% (8/21) compared to 57% (15/26) for embryos from postpubertal gilts (P0.30). Because all uterine horns of pregnant recipients contained fetuses, these results support the hypothesis that embryos from 100-d-old gilts are able to initiate and maintain pregnancies in the uteri of postpubertal gilts. Therefore, the uterine environment of 100-d-old gilts provides an environment that supports development of embryos produced by postpubertal gilts, and the embryos produced by 100-d-old gilts can survive and develop in the uteri of postpubertal gilts. It was only the combination of embryos and uteri of 100-d-old gilts that did not permit pregnancy to be maintained.

Secretion into the uterine lumen follows a precise pattern during early pregnancy. Near the end of the second week of pregnancy and coincident with elongation of conceptuses, retinol, retinol binding protein (RBP), estradiol (E2), and prostaglandins E (PGE) and F (PGF) increase in the uterine lumen, and RBP mRNA increases in the endometrium. In the present studies the potential for E2 (0.1 microM) and retinol (10 microM) to regulate RBP and PG production by cultured luminal (LEC) and glandular (GEC) epithelial cells collected from postpubertal females and LEC from prepubertal gilts was examined. Endometrial tissue was collected surgically from cyclic and pregnant females (n = 8) on d 10 and 13 postestrus (first day of estrus = d 0) and from 120- and 150-d-old prepubertal gilts that were treated with progesterone (P4) (2.2 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), n = 6) or corn oil (n = 6) for 14 d prior to tissue collection. The LEC from postpubertal females responded to retinol with increased (P0.05) RBP, PGE, and PGF in culture medium and increased (P0.07) RBP mRNA but E2 decreased (P0.05) RBP and RBP mRNA and had no effect on prostaglandins. No E2 or retinol effects on secretions of GEC occurred in vitro, but a day x pregnancy status interaction (P0.06) affected PGE output by the GEC. Secretion of PGE was greater when GEC were collected on d 10 of pregnancy than from d-10 cyclic or d-13 pregnant or cyclic females. Both E2 and retinol stimulated (P0.05) secretion of RBP by LEC isolated from prepubertal gilts, but their effects were not additive. In vivo treatment of prepubertal gilts with P4 increased (P0.05) RBP and decreased (P0.05) PG production by LEC in vitro. Therefore responses to E2 and retinol differ between pre- and post-pubertal females, and retinol may function in the regulation of endometrial RBP and PG secretion.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of delivering feed and detecting estrous behavior by computer-controlled equipment in a nonconfinement environment. In Exp. 1, gilts were assigned to treatment when detected pregnant by ultrasound at 30 to 35 d after artificial insemination. They were assigned to be fed individually in stalls once/day (0830) with a scoop (controls, n = 20) or with an electronic sow feeding station (ESF, n = 20). The ESF gilts received their feed in 98.6-g aliquots at 80-s intervals as they visited the feeding station. Control vs ESF gilts did not differ (P.8) for backfat (2.2 vs 2.1 cm) or weight (170 vs 172 kg) before farrowing, total and live pigs/litter (9.3 and 8.7 vs 9.1 and 8.8), or litter birth weight (12.7 vs 12.1). In Exp. 2, proceptive behavior, as measured by visits to a boar's pen, were recorded electronically, and observed estrus was evaluated in two groups of sows during their first (n = 11) and second and third (n = 19) estrous cycles and in one group of gilts (n = 14). A partition prevented visual and physical contact between the boar and the visiting females except where the electronic estrus detection (EED) station was installed. Feed delivery software was used to monitor boar visitation even though no feed delivery equipment was present at the boar pen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Primiparous and multiparous sows received a single dietary supplement of either L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, or L-glutamate in their feed on the day after weaning and effects on various reproductive traits were evaluated in three experiments. In Exp. 1 and 2, sows received either 0 (control; n = 22 and 64, respectively) or 100 mg of L-tyrosine/kg BW (n = 24 and 62, respectively) on the day after weaning. In Exp. 1, days from weaning to estrus (5.5 +/- .3 vs 5.3 +/- .3 d) and ovulation rate (15.6 +/- .9 vs 15.6 +/- 1) were similar in control and tyrosine-supplemented sows. In Exp. 2, interval from weaning to estrus was extended (P.01) in tyrosine-supplemented sows (6.4 +/- .5 d) compared with controls (4.5 +/- .5 d), but this was due to long return intervals in 7 of 62 tyrosine-supplemented sows. Total number of pigs born (10.2 +/- .4 vs 10.0 +/- .4) was similar in control and tyrosine-supplemented sows. In Exp. 3, sows received either no supplemental amino acids (n = 31) or their diet was supplemented with 100 mg/kg BW of either L-tyrosine (n = 31), L-phenylalanine (n = 33), or L-glutamate (n = 32). Neither days from weaning to estrus nor subsequent farrowing traits were altered in sows that received supplemental amino acids on the day after weaning. In conclusion, a single dietary supplementation of either tyrosine, phenylalanine, or glutamate to sows on the day after weaning failed to improve interval from weaning to estrus, ovulation rate, or litter traits at subsequent farrowing.

Summary Efficacy of three treatment regimens for parturition induction was investigated in three experiments with the objectives to maximize synchrony of parturition and to minimize the incidence of retained placentas. In Experiment 1, 20 mg of dexamethasone (DEX) was given alone or in combination with 6 mg estradiol benzoate (EB). The additional treatment with EB failed to reduce the incidence of retained placentas. In Experiment II, parturition was induced by injection of 5 mg flumethasone (FLU) or sequential treatment with triamcino- lone acetonide (TA) followed 5 days later by an injection of 5 mg flumethasone. The incidence of placentas retained longer than 24 hr tended to be decreased (59% vs 37%, P = .09) by pretreatment with TA. In Experiment III, treatment with DEX alone was compared with DEX following pretreatment with TA + EB to induce parturition in dairy cows. Triamcinolone acetonide (8 mg) injected 6 days prior to the DEX injection in combination with EB (10 mg) given 6, 4 and 2 days before and 20 mg at the time of DEX treatment tended to reduce frequency of retained placentas in dairy cows (40% vs 78% for cows receiving only DEX and 20% for controls). Pretreatment with either TA or TA + EB 1Contribution from the Missouri Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Series No. 8219. Approved by the Director. z The authors acknowledge the valuable suggestions of Dr. R. A. S. Welch, New Zealand Ministry of Agri- culture, Ruakura Anim. Res. Sta., Hamilton, New Zea- land, on the use of triamcinolone acetonide to induce parturition in cattle. 3 Present address: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan 66506. 4Present address: Department of Animal Science, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana 61801. SDepartments of Dairy Husbandry, Veterinary Medicine and Surgery and Animal Husbandry. increased the number of cows calving by 72 hr after FLU and DEX (P

Individual and group-reared boars were compared in two experiments, for treatment effects on mating behavior, growth rate, feed consumption and feed/gain. Soundness also was evaluated in one experiment. Boar-to-boar behaviors were studied in group-penned boars. In Exp. 1, boars were either reared in a group of five or individually from 12 to 27 wk of age, or group-penned from 12 to 19 wk and individually from 1-9 wk. In Exp. 2, boars were either penned individually from 6 to 27 wk, group-penned (eight/pen) from 6 to 27 wk, grouped from 6 to 12 wk and then penned individually, or individually penned from 6 to 12 wk and then group-penned. Beginning at 29 wk of age, boars were tested every 2 wk for mating behavior in the presence of an estrous gilt. Four mating tests were conducted in Exp. 1 and five tests in Exp. 2. Individually penned boars grew faster from 6 to 12 wk old in Exp. 2, but no other treatment effects on growth rate were observed. Treatment had very little effect on mating test behaviors, but individual penning markedly reduced leg soundness. Sheath sniffing first appeared at 16 to 18 wk of age in group-penned boars and was followed closely by anal sniffing. Side nosing increased between 20 and 23 wk. Mounting activity from 12 to 27 wk old was correlated with mating test score in Exp. 1 (.76; P less than .01) and Exp. 2 (.55; P less than .05).

A synthetic progestogen (altrenogest) was used to synchronize estrus in 160 Yorkshire and Duroc x Yorkshire gilts (6 to 11 mo old) in four trials. Gilts were fed 15 mg altrenogest for 14 or 18 d beginning either at or near estrus (d -1, 0, +1 or +2) or at diestrus (d +3 to +21). Mean intervals to estrus after treatment did not differ between 14- and 18-d treatments (5.4 +/- .1 vs 5.3 +/- .1 d, respectively), but were slightly longer (P less than .01) in gilts beginning treatment at or near estrus than in diestrus (5.6 +/- .1 vs 5.2 +/- .1, respectively). Average intervals to estrus were similar between treatment groups and among stages of the cycle even though more gilts (P less than .01) beginning treatment at estrus had serum progesterone concentrations greater than 2 ng/ml at the end of progestogen treatment. Although more 18- than 14-d treated gilts (P less than .05) were in estrus on d 5 post-treatment, proportions in estrus from 3 to 10 d post-treatment were similar (greater than 98%). Neither stage of estrous cycle at onset of treatment nor duration of progestogen treatment affected percentages of gilts farrowing (greater than 73%), average gestation length (116.5 d), or total (10.3), live (9.7) and dead (.6) pigs at birth after artificial insemination at the post-treatment estrus. We concluded that 14-d feeding of altrenogest effectively synchronized fertile estrus in gilts regardless of stage of estrous cycle at the onset of progestogen treatment. Although 18-d treatment of gilts with altrenogest improved estrous synchronization precision compared to 14-d treatment, there was no advantage of the 18-d treatment for subsequent farrowing responses.

Delaying the onset of estrus after weaning and adding fat to the postweaning diet were studied for their effects on estrus and fertility in 232 crossbred primiparous sows on a commercial swine farm. Sows were assigned randomly to the following treatments after weaning in June, July, August, or September, 1983: 1) altrenogest (20 mg/d) was fed for 7 d after weaning (n = 76), 2) altrenogest was fed for 7 d plus .53 kg dried animal and vegetable fat product (.45 kg actual fat/d) for 14 d after weaning (n = 78), or 3) no treatment (controls, n = 78). While a similar proportion of sows came into heat after weaning (lactation length = 4 wk), sows fed altrenogest (14.4 +/- .2 d) returned to estrus about 9 d later (P less than .01) than controls (5.6 +/- .2 d). Serum progesterone concentration was assayed in blood samples collected from a subgroup (74%) of the cows not observed in estrus by 3 wk after weaning to determine possible causes of anestrus. If serum progesterone (greater than 5 ng/ml) was elevated, we assumed that sows had ovulated without expressing estrus (behavioral anestrus) or ovulated with undetected estrus (less overt estrus or error in estrous detection), whereas low progesterone (less than or equal to 5 ng/ml) indicated that sows were anovulatory. About 53% of the sows not observed in estrus across all treatments had luteal function, probably resulting from post-weaning ovulation. Incidence of anovulation without estrus was 47%. Farrowing rate was higher (P less than .05) for sows fed only altrenogest (64%) compared with controls (46%), but similar to fat supplemented, altrenogest-treated sows (52%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A completely randomized block experiment with two treatments was designed to investigate the effect of supplemental light on sow performance during and after lactation. Crossbred multi- and primiparous sows were exposed to either limited (control, n = 164) or 16 h (n = 163) timer-controlled supplemental light beginning 3 to 9 d before expected farrowing. Overhead illumination (32 to 266 lux) was furnished by seven fixtures (two tubes each) of cool white fluorescent light at twice-daily feedings in control rooms (less than 1 h/d) and for 16 h/d in supplementally lighted rooms (16 h). Litter size was equalized within 48 h postpartum (10 +/- .1 pigs/litter; X +/- SE) in each of five identical rooms that served alternately as control or 16-h treatments during 10 consecutive weekly farrowings (September 24 to November 26, 1981). Litters were heavier (P less than .05) at weaning (26 +/- .1 d) for 16-h than for control sows (57.8 +/- 1 vs 54.3 +/- 1 kg) while pigs weaned (9.2 +/- .1 vs 9.1 +/- .1), piglet survival (90 vs 91%) and days to mating (5.9 +/- .4 vs 5.5 +/- .3) were similar (P greater than .05). However, more (P less than .01) 16-h than control sows (83 vs 68%) were mated by 5 d postweaning. Multiparous sows weaned heavier (P less than .05) litters than primiparous sows (57.9 +/- 1 vs 50.1 +/- 1 kg) while overall litter weight increased (P less than .05) 141 +/- 6 g for each 10 lux increase in light intensity. We concluded that litter weight is increased and return to postweaning estrus more synchronous when sows are exposed to 16 h supplemental ligh/d during a 4-wk lactation.

Influences of estrous synchronization with altrenogest and flushing on reproductive traits in gilts were evaluated in three experiments on two farms. Crossbred gilts were fed altrenogest or altrenogest and an additional 1.55 kg ground sorghum grain for at least 10 d before breeding (flushing), or served as controls. Additional grain for the flushing treatment was provided to gilts from the eighth day of altrenogest treatment until they were detected in estrus. The combination of altrenogest and flushing (on Farm A) increased (P less than .05) litter size when compared with gilts treated only with altrenogest and controls that received neither altrenogest nor flushing. This response was entirely among gilts inseminated at their pubertal estrus. For pubertal gilts fed altrenogest and the flushing treatment, litter traits were similar to other treated or control gilts inseminated at a postpubertal estrus. No treatment effects on litter size were detected for gilts inseminated at a postpubertal estrus. Gilts on Farm B responded differently, with larger litter sizes (P = .08) for those treated with altrenogest and flushing plus altrenogest than for control gilts. Reasons for farm differences might be unidentified genetic or management factors or different seasons of the year when gilts were treated on Farm B (summer) vs Farm A (fall, winter and spring). Our results indicate a marked potential for increasing litter size in gilts mated at their pubertal estrus because their unstimulated ovulation rate (no altrenogest or flushing) did not challenge adequately the biological capacity of their uteri.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of various lactational treatments on the incidence of estrus and subsequent fertility of sows. Experiment 1 consisted of 60 crossbred (Yorkshire X Duroc) sows assigned to one of four treatment groups. Litter size was reduced (RLS) to two to four nursing pigs/sow at 2 (n = 16), 3 (n = 15) or 4 (n = 15) wk of lactation for 5 d before final weaning or litters were weaned from control sows (n = 14) at 5 wk of age. Reduced litter size resulted in 19 of 43 (44%) sows detected in estrus on the day of weaning. More (P less than .05) RLS sows were in estrus 0 to 3 d after weaning than control sows. Fertility traits (number of corpora lutea, eggs recovered, egg recovery rate, eggs fertilized, fertilization rate, cleaved eggs and cleavage rate) were similar among treatment groups at 4 to 6 d postestrus. Experiment 2 consisted of 59 crossbred (Yorkshire X Duroc) sows assigned to one of four treatment groups. Litters were separated from their dams for 6 (n = 20) or 12 (n = 10) h/d between 2 and 4 wk or litters were weaned at 2 (n = 13) and 4 (n = 15) wk of age. Lactational estrus was detected in 13 of 20 (65%) sows and 5 of 10 (50%) sows that were separated from their litters for 6 or 12 h/d, respectively. Lactational estrus (LE, n = 18) in sows was observed 4 to 8 d after initial separation, while sows remaining anestrus during lactation (LA, n = 12) were in estrus 2 to 7 d postweaning. Average intervals from separation or weaning to estrus for LE and LA sows and for sows whose litters were weaned at 2 or 4 wk were 5.9, 4.4, 4.4 and 4.2 d, respectively, and were longer (P less than .05) for LE sows. Fertility traits were similar among treatment groups. These studies demonstrate that lactations of 2 to 5 wk and lactational treatments of sows, including either litter reduction before weaning or daily separation of sows from their litters, resulted in similar postweaning or post-treatment intervals to estrus and similar fecundity regardless of treatment or lactation length. While 50% of the sows responded to treatments, reasons for the lack of response in the remaining sows is not explained, but it appears that body weight and backfat of sows at weaning, and feed intake during lactation were unrelated to the success of the treatments imposed.

A synthetic progestogen (altrenogest) was fed to 24 Yorkshire X Duroc boars to determine effects on body growth, serum testosterone, and testicular characteristics. Boars from six litters (blocks) were allotted randomly to one of four treatment groups at 12 wk of age. Treatment groups were: controls, altrenogest fed for 3 wk, altrenogest fed for 6 wk and altrenogest fed for 9 wk. Treatment began at 15 wk of age at a daily dose of 20 mg X boar-1. Although there were no differences among treatment groups for gain and feed intake, boars fed altrenogest for 6 and 9 wk tended to consume more feed and were less (P less than .05) efficient than boars fed altrenogest for 3 wk or controls. Boars fed altrenogest for 3, 6 and 9 wk maintained lower (P less than .05) peripheral serum testosterone concentrations than controls from 15 to 24 wk of age. However, serum testosterone increased after altrenogest withdrawal in the 3- and 6-wk treatment groups but did not reach control concentrations by 24 wk. Boars fed altrenogest for 9 wk maintained serum testosterone below 1 ng/ml during the treatment period. Despite lower concentrations of serum testosterone in altrenogest-treated boars, backfat thickness was similar to controls, perhaps suggesting a slight anabolic effect of altrenogest on nutrient partitioning. Testicular weights and volumes at 24 wk decreased (P less than .001) linearly with increased duration of altrenogest feeding. Serum testosterone and estradiol in testicular venous effluent at castration were lower (P less than .01) in altrenogest-treated boars than in controls. These data demonstrate that feeding altrenogest inhibits both testicular growth and steroidogenesis of boars without altering body growth or backfat thickness.

We compared estrous and farrowing traits in 274 Duroc X Yorkshire sows penned either in individual gestation stalls or in groups (four or five sows/group) during the intervals from weaning to breeding and from breeding to 30 to 35 d after breeding. Sows were assigned to treatment by parity (primiparous vs multiparous), checked twice daily for estrus from 3 to 10 d after weaning and artificially inseminated (AI) twice during estrus. Ovaries of anestrous sows were examined at laparotomy. No major treatment effects on estrous response were detected and 88% (45/51) of anestrous sows had only small ovarian follicles. Litter traits were not affected by penning treatments. However, penning sows in groups postbreeding resulted in a 50% reduction (P less than .05) in early pregnancy losses as indicated by low serum progesterone 19 to 23 d after AI or return to estrus by 23 d after AI. This resulted in a 12 percentage point higher (P less than .05) farrowing rate for group-penned (78%) than for individually penned sows (66%).

Fertility of 104 gilts artificially inseminated (AI) at a predetermined time (scheduled AI) after estrous synchronization with altrenogest (15 mg X gilt-1 X d-1 for 18 d) was compared with that of 103 gilts checked for estrus (estrus checked) and inseminated after altrenogest. Scheduled-AI gilts were inseminated once on d 5, 6 and 7 after the last altrenogest feeding (d 0). Estrus-checked gilts were exposed to a boar twice daily at 0830 and 1630 h and inseminated after the second and third estrous detection period following first detected estrus. Percentage of gilts assigned to treatment that farrowed (72.8 vs 67.3%), total pigs farrowed (11 +/- .4 vs 11.3 +/- .4) and pigs born alive (10.1 +/- .4 vs 10.5 +/- .4) were similar for estrus-checked and scheduled-AI gilts, respectively. We conclude that scheduled AI can be used with estrous synchronization for gilts and may have advantages in breeding herd management and the use of AI in swine.