Pig hunting

For a pig farmer who is looking to expand his farm, it is extremely important to know how animals are mated and when is the best time to do it. And in this regard, the main signs of hunting in pigs, the duration of the walk, the correct selection of a pair deserve detailed consideration. They will significantly increase the likelihood of success in mating.

Sexual hunting in pigs

Signs and terms of hunting

Hunting in pigs for the first time begins at about six months of age (the exact timing depends on the breed). At this time, the female is fully mature for mating and is ready to bear offspring. The beginning of sexual hunting in an animal may be indicated by certain changes in its behavior and physiology. For females, the most pronounced signs are:

• loss of appetite or complete refusal of food;
• restless behavior;
• constant dashes around the barn or walking area;
• redness of the organs of the reproductive system;
• discharge from the genitals and nipples;
• refusal to sleep;
• the female squeals almost non-stop.

Attention! If at this time it is easy for the animal to press on the rear part of the body, it freezes motionless and stands motionless for some time.

As for the readiness of boars for sexual hunting, it manifests itself in the following points:

• frequent urination (with an interval of no more than 30 minutes);
• non-stop grunting;
• the male constantly rubs against the walls of the corral;
• increased aggressiveness can be observed, which manifests itself in attempts to break something and conflicts with other individuals of the herd;
• the boar is constantly trying to jump on nearby animals and mimics mating.

It is worth noting that the lack of mating with a male by a female during the onset of sexual hunting can lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of the reproductive organs, so this moment must be constantly monitored.

The timing of this period in pigs can vary greatly. Usually sexual hunting lasts from 36 to 48 hours. In some cases, this time period increases to 7 days or more. The duration of this period depends on many factors, the main among which is the age of the female. The older she is, the less sexual hunting lasts.

Pig mating

The end of the walking process in a pig is evidenced by the fact that within two days the animal becomes completely calm. The female is practically indifferent to the boar and does not attempt to interact with him. At the same time, redness and swelling of the genital organs disappear, and the discharge stops flowing from them. At the end of the two-day period, the animal completely returns to its normal state.

But it is worth noting that, depending on the age, general condition, weight of the animal, signs of readiness for mating may have different degrees of severity. Therefore, when determining such a time, it is extremely important to perceive the picture as a whole, without concentrating on individual nuances.

How many months do pigs walk?

The age at which pigs begin to walk can vary significantly depending on the breed. As a rule, sexual hunting in females begins at 5-6 months. Of course, this applies to healthy individuals who did not have developmental delays. Otherwise, puberty in a pig may occur later.

But, despite the fact that the pig is ready for mating as early as 6 months old, experienced breeders, as a rule, carry out mating only at 9 months of age. By this age, the animal is already strong and will give good offspring.

As for the boars, they are ready for a full-fledged mating at about the age of 8 months (also depends on the breed). Active sexual activity in males can be traced up to 3 years.

After how many days does a pig walk again?

The readiness of a pig for mating appears cyclically at regular intervals. If, after mating, the gestation of the animal did not occur, then over the next 21-22 days, signs of estrus appear again. But, it is worth noting that this time period is also inaccurate in 100% of cases. Depending on the age, breed, constitution and characteristics of keeping pigs, this period lasts 14-24 days.

In some cases, the female, even after successful insemination, will again switch to sexual hunting. This is explained by the fact that pigs, by their nature, are capable of carrying piglets of different ages. As a result, after the first insemination, a second can occur, and the interval between farrowings in such a situation is minimal.

The interval between farrowing can be minimal

Pair selection

In many ways, the success of mating and the health of the offspring depend on the correct selection of pigs for mating. At the same time, certain requirements are imposed on both the female and the male. When choosing a sow, first of all, pay attention to such points:

• correspondence of external features and body features to the parameters of a particular breed;
• good health of the animal and the absence of defects;
• degree of fatness;
• the age of the pig (preferably at least 9 months old).

Important! If the female has previously brought offspring, then consider its condition and the number of babies that survived from the offspring.

As for the boar, his choice is even stricter. When choosing a male, consider the following nuances:

• the same breed as the female;
• good physical health of the animal;
• age up to 3 years, no more;
• the optimal weight, which is selected taking into account the size and weight of the sow.

It is better for a female to mate with boars from another farm. If mating individuals from the same herd, there is a high probability that the offspring will be defective or develop health problems.

It is imperative to take into account the productivity of the boar before replanting. Best of all, in this case, it will be to conduct a laboratory analysis of the animal’s sperm. But such a procedure is difficult to implement for an ordinary breeder. Therefore, as an alternative, inspect the offspring that the queens gave from this male earlier, and ask the owner about the characteristics of the animal.

mating methods

There are many different methods for mating pigs. First of all, they are divided into purebred and interbreed. In the first case, mating is carried out between two individuals of the same breed. The ultimate goal of such a process is the preservation and improvement of the parameters of a particular breed line. This method of mating allows you to maintain and even increase the meat productivity of a pig and some of its individual parameters.

Pig mating method

Interbreeding is used if it is planned to improve the initial qualities of animals in the new generation. Moreover, this can be achieved by the following methods:

1. Absorption case. This option involves crossing unproductive varieties with more productive ones. As a result, it is possible to increase the meat productivity of offspring.
2. Reproductive mating. In this case, mating is carried out with representatives of different breeds of pigs in several generations. The purpose of such a mating is the creation of a new breed and the consolidation of several desirable qualities in it at once.
3. Introductory crossing. The main goal in this case is not just getting offspring, but fixing and strengthening a specific general parameter in it.

The mating methods are also divided according to the method of implementing the procedure. In this regard, several different options stand out at once.

Manual mating

This method involves the mating of animals in a spacious paddock allocated exclusively for this purpose. The female and the male are launched into a specially fenced area, with rounded corners and a floor sprinkled with sawdust. After that, the animals are left alone, excluding any noise and other distractions nearby. After some time, the male gets used to the mumps and mating occurs.

Double cage

The method of double cage when mating pigs is used most often. This method involves a second mating of the selected pair 12 hours after the first. This allows you to increase the chances of successful fertilization of the female. In this case, the same boar that was selected for the first mating is necessarily used.

Artificial insemination

The method of artificial insemination of sows is especially in demand in large farms, where, due to the large number of sows, conventional methods are extremely difficult to apply. It lies in the fact that direct mating of animals does not occur. Instead, the female is injected with boar semen that has been pre-collected and tested in the laboratory. This method allows you to reduce the time required for normal mating and increase the likelihood of successful fertilization.

Conclusion

Thus, we can conclude that the duration of a pig’s walk and the characteristics of her sexual hunting are individual parameters, so it will not be possible to indicate exact numbers here. But in any case, the minimum theoretical base in matters of crossing pigs in a farm environment will effectively increase the size of the herd and get a healthy and numerous offspring.