HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Berger, T. Articles by Clegg, E. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Berger, T. Articles by Clegg, E. D.

Sexual Maturation of Boars and Growth of Swine Exposed to Extended Photoperiod during Decreasing Natural Photoperiod^{1 , 2,}

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907

Abstract

Littermate pairs of crossbred boars, barrows and gilts were used to study the effects of an artificially extended photoperiod during decreasing daylength on puberty in boars and on weight gain and feed efficiency. Libido scores of the boars exposed to the extended photoperiod were higher (P<.01) than those of controls at 24 and 26 weeks of age. At 26 weeks of age, semen had been collected from 74% of the boars on supplemental light but from only 26% of the controls. Lighting treatment did not affect semen quality. The number of ejaculates previously collected did affect semen quality. Motility and total sperm per ejaculate increased with increasing ejaculate number, while the percentage of abnormalities appeared to decrease. A second group of boars was delayed in the development of mating behavior, perhaps because of inadvertent consumption of Gibberella zeae-infected corn. The extended photoperiod did not exert a beneficial effect on weight gain or feed efficiency of boars, barrows or gilts.

¹ Journal paper no. 7841, Purdue Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta. A contribution from the Dept. of Anim. Sci.

² Research supported by a grant from the National Pork Producers Council.

³ Present address: Dept. of Anim. Sci., MacDonald College of McGill Univ., Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada HOA ICO.

⁴ Present address: Div. of Vet. Biol., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Tucker and R. Ringer Controlled photoperiodic environments for food animals Science, June 25, 1982; 216(4553): 1381 - 1386. [PDF]