Partuition In Swine Flashcards
What is the gestation length in days of pigs?
114 days
What type of plancentation do pigs have?
Diffuse
At what days post insemination do the farm crew ultrasound females. Why are those days important in determining pregnancy?
Day 35 since it’s after the sow/gilt has their first pregnancy recognition signal. Then on day 56, 21 days later since that’s the length of one estrus cycle
What does the uterus look like on an ultrasound screen?
If open: dense gray circles
If pregnant: dark, fluid-filled circles
What do follicles look like on an ultrasound screen?
Dark, fluid-filled circles
What does the bladder look like on an ultrasound screen?
Large, dark, fluid-filled object
What does bone look like on ultrasound screens?
Very bright objects
How long (total) are sows in the farrowing barn at the swine education unit?
About 4 weeks
What hormone is used to induce parturition in sows? Why?
Lutalyse (PGF2a) since it removes the source of progesterone
When is an animal culled from the breeding herd?
When a sow is unable to get pregnant after being bred three times
2 signs or behaviors a sow will exhibit prior to parturition
-refusal to eat 24h before
-restlessness
How many females will farrow in a group?
50
Piglets that die after day 100 of gestation
Stillborns
Piglets that die in the uterus between days 50 and 100
Mummies (partially reabsorbed by the sow)
Other signs of impending parturition
-milk present in nipples
-increased respiration rate
-laying on side; kicking or pawing at air
-bloody fluid will drain from the vulva
