The Rural Voice, 1985-09, Page 62HOLLY GULLY
"YOUR ATV HEADQUARTERS"
PRESENTS
1986 HONDA ATV SHOW
September 11 to 14
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60 THE RURAL. VOICE
FARM ADVICE
Number of piglets
born should increase
Research underway at Agriculture
Canada's research station in Bran-
don, Manitoba could increase the
number of piglets born in Canada's
swine herds by 10 per cent.
Only about two-thirds of the em-
bryos a sow starts her pregnancy with
survive until birth.
"We feel a 30 to 40 per cent death
rate is just not acceptable," says
Gerry Dyck, an animal physiologi,t
at the research station.
Canada is not the only country
where such high embryo losses are
common. The United States and
European countries also face the
same problem. And, Dr. Dyck says,
there is no reason to blame nature for
the fetal deaths.
Natural selection does occur, of
course, with embryo deaths from ab-
normalities within the fetus itself.
These account for about one-quarter
of the losses. But other factors which
weaken the embryo's ability to sur-
vive are responsible for most deaths.
The quality of the semen could be
influencing the embryo's chances of
survival, as could the timing of in-
semination — there is an ideal time
for fertilizing the eggs.
Nutrition may also have some in-
fluence on the number of live piglets a
sow produces. Studies elsewhere have
shown that if sows are fed a higher
than normal level of food for one to
three weeks before breeding, ovula-
tion rates can be greatly increased.
But when the high level of feeding is
continued after breeding, a bigger lit-
ter does not necessarily result.
Dr. Dyck's research shows that if
the feed intake in gilts after they aye
bred is reduced to only a body-weight
maintenance diet for the first 10 day s,
a bigger litter of piglets is possible.
But if the feed restriction is continued
beyond the 10 -day period, the rate of
conception is reduced.
Dr. Dyck admits he doesn't yet
know what the relationship is bet-
ween feed consumption and embryo
survival. "We suspect that feed
restriction alters hormonal produc-
tion and use within the animal's
body."
He is now taking a closer look to
find out if that is the case, and if so,
how it works. But, he concludes,
there is not likely any single, simple
answer to the problem of embryo
loss. ❑