Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:39:04.735Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of boar-component stimuli on puberty attainment in the gilt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

G. P. Pearce  and
P. E. Hughes
G. P. Pearce
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
P. E. Hughes
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Get access

Abstract

Two experiments employing 72 and 48 pre-pubertal Large White ♂ × (Large White ♂ × Landrace ♀) gilts respectively were carried out to investigate the involvement of various boar stimuli in the induction of precocious puberty in the gilt. Experiment 1 consisted of the following treatments commencing at 165 days of age: (1) contact with an androgenized, castrated male; (2) contact with an androgenized castrated male plus a recording of boar chants; (3) as treatment (2) plus exposure to a solution of 16-androstene steroids, 3α-androstenol (5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol) and 5α-androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one); and (4) contact with an entire boar. In experiment 2, additional exposure to boar urine occurred in treatments (2) and (3).

Exposure of gilts to tactile, visual and auditory cues from the boar had little effect on puberty attainment. The additional exposure to 16-androstene steroids did stimulate puberty but was not as efficacious as boar exposure. Additional exposure to boar urine improved the puberty-stimulating effect of the castrated males, and further additional exposure to 16-androstenes produced a response approaching that obtained by boar exposure.

These results confirm the involvement of olfactory cues from the boar in stimulating puberty in the gilt. The olfactory cues appear to be 16-androstene steroids present in boar saliva and some undefined compound(s) present in boar urine. These experiments suggest that olfactory stimuli from the boar require the simultaneous exposure to tactile and possibly also visual and auditory cues from the boar in order to stimulate the onset of puberty in the gilt.

cues from the mature boar are also involved in mediating the stimulation of puberty. Exposure of gilts to isolated sources of androstene pheromones was ineffective in stimulating puberty (Kirkwood et al., 1983), whereas exposure to contact with a sialectomized boar order to stimulate the onset of puberty in the gilt.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 293 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Booth, W. D. 1980a. A study of some major testicular steroids in the pig in relation to their effect on the development of male characteristics in the prepubertally castrated boar. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 59: 155–162.Google Scholar
Booth, W. D. 1980b. Endocrine and exocrine factors in the reproductive behaviour of the pig. Symposia of the Zoological Society of London 45: 289–311.Google Scholar
Booth, W. D. 1984a. Sexual dimorphism involving steroidal pheromones and their binding protein in the submaxillary salivary gland of the Gottingen miniature pig. Journal of Endocrinology 100: 195–202.Google Scholar
Booth, W. D. 1984b. A note on the significance of boar salivary pheromones to the male-effect on puberty attainment in gilts. Animal Production 39: 149–152.Google Scholar
Bronson, F. H. and Maruniak, J. A. 1976. Differential effects of male stimuli on follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and prolactin secretion in pubertal female mice. Endocrinology 98: 1101–1108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deligeorgis, S. G., Lunney, D. C. and English, P. R. 1984. A note on efficacy of complete v. partial boar exposure on puberty attainment in the gilt. Animal Production 39: 145–147.Google Scholar
Dixon, A. K. 1973. The effect of olfactory stimuli on the social behaviour of laboratory mice. PhD Thesis, University of Birmingham.Google Scholar
Drickamer, L. C. 1974. Contact stimulation, androgenised females and accelerated sexual maturation in female mice. Behavioural Biology 12: 101–110.Google Scholar
Hemsworth, P. H., Beilharz, R. G. and Brown, W. J. 1978. The importance of the courting behaviour of the boar on the success of natural and artificial matings. Applied Animal Ethology 4: 341–347.Google Scholar
Houpt, K. A. and Wolski, T. R. 1982. Domestic Animal Behaviour for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists. Iowa State University Press. Ames, la.Google Scholar
Karlbom, I. 1982. Attainment of puberty in female pigs: influence of boar stimulation. Animal Reproduction Science 4: 313–319.Google Scholar
Kinsey, R. E., Carlson, R., Proud, C. and Zimmerman, D. R. 1976. Influence of boar component stimuli on age at puberty in gilts. Journal of Animal Science 42: 1362 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Forbibs, J. M. and Hughes, P. E. 1981. The influence of boar contact on attainment of puberty in gilts after removal of the olfactory bulbs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 61: 193–196.Google Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N., Hughes, P. E. and Booth, W. D. 1983. The influence of boar-related odours on puberty attainment in gilts. Animal Production 36: 131–136.Google Scholar
MacIntosh, J. H. 1985. The bioassay of mammalian olfactory signals. Mammal Review 15: 57–70.Google Scholar
Parrott, R. F. and Booth, W. D. 1984. Behavioural and morphological effects of 5a-dihydrotestosterone and oestradiol-17β in the prepubertally castrated boar. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 71: 453–461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearce, G. P. and Hughes, P. E. 1985. The influence of daily movement of gilts and the environment in which boar exposure occurs on the efficacy of boar- induced precocious puberty in the gilt. Animal Production 40: 161–167.Google Scholar
Perry, G. C., Patterson, R. L. S., MacFie, H. J. H. and Stinson, G. C. 1980. Pig courtship behaviour: pheromonal property of androstene steroids in male submaxillary secretion. Animal Production 31: 191–199.Google Scholar
Reed, H. C. B., Melrose, D. R. and Patterson, R. L. S. 1974. Androgen steroids as an aid to the detection of oestrus in pig artificial insemination. British Veterinary Journal 130: 61–67.Google Scholar
Signoret, J. P. 1970. Reproductive behaviour in pigs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Suppl. 11, pp. 105–117.Google Scholar
Signoret, J. P. 1971. The reproductive behaviour of pigs in relation to fertility. Veterinary Record 88: 34–38.Google Scholar