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A note on the influence of boar age on its ability to advance puberty in the gilt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. N. Kirkwood  and
P. E. Hughes
R. N. Kirkwood
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
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Abstract

Twenty-four Large White × (Landrace × Large White) gilts were allocated to one of four treatments such that one gilt from each of the litters was on each treatment. Three of the treatments involved 30-min daily contact with a boar, the boar being either (1) 2 years of age, (2) 11 months of age, or (3) 6·5 months of age, at the start of the trial. The fourth group were controls, receiving no boar stimulation.

The experiment began at a gilt age of 165 days and continued until puberty was detected. The gilts were slaughtered 5 days after puberty was reached.

The results indicate no significant difference for age at puberty between gilts exposed to the 2-year- or 11-month-old boars (182·0 v. 181·6 days respectively), although both were significantly younger at puberty than gilts exposed to the 6·5-month-old boars or having no boar contact (P<001) (206·0 v. 203·0 days respectively).

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , April 1981 , pp. 211 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1981

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References

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