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Reproduction in the gilt 4. The effect of rearing gilts with contemporary castrated males or intact males on the attainment of puberty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. J. A. Cole ,
G. W. Dyck  and
S. Nathan
D. J. A. Cole
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD
G. W. Dyck
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD
S. Nathan
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD
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Abstract

Sixty-six Landrace × (Landrace × Large White) gilts were allocated at 70 days of age to one of three rearing treatments of housing with gilts, contemporary castrated males or contemporary intact males. Half the experiment was completed in winter and half in spring. At 159 days of age all gilts were subjected to a change of pen and, from 160 days of age, daily exposure to mature vasectomized boars. The rearing treatments had a small but significant effect on the time interval from boar exposure to puberty, with gilts housed with gilts averaging 8·9 days to puberty compared with 7·1 days and 7·4 days for gilts housed with castrates and boars, respectively (p < 0·05). In addition, there was a seasonal effect on the time interval to puberty. Gilts receiving mature boar exposure during the winter months had a longer interval to puberty than gilts exposed to boars during the spring (8·8 days v. 6·9 days; P < 0·01). These results indicated no habituation effects of gilts housed with contemporary males but, rather, the possibility of a slightly earlier induction of puberty.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , October 1982 , pp. 171 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1982

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References

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