Boars collection

What interval is required between collecting from the same boar to optimize the management of your AI center ?

Boars are at the heart of our business: they are the key to producing good quality semen. However, there are some questions: What are the consequences of collecting semen from boars too often? Or on the other hand, a collection rate that is not frequent enough? What is the ideal time interval between two collections?

This article, utilizing field data from Gènes Diffusion, the French swine semen production company, aims to give you concrete recommendations on the collection rate for your boars.

Boar semen collection: how do you manage the collection interval to optimize boar performance and ensure the economic efficiency of your stud?

Over-collecting or under-collecting a boar can have a negative impact on the success of your stud: both economically and in the quality of the semen offered. If you collect from a boar too frequently, the resulting semen may have a low concentration with an increase in abnormalities, and therefore be of poor quality for the dilution process. On the other hand, not collecting frequently enough can also result in higher abnormalities and a decrease in the boars libido.

Evolution of the concentration of a boar ejaculate over time

As shown in this graph, produced by Genes Diffusion, the concentration of sperm in an ejaculate increases naturally the first day after collection. The concentration in the ejaculate increases from day one to day twelve. From day 12 onwards, the concentration becomes stable over time: about 95 billion spermatozoa per ejaculate. However, it can be observed that this concentration increases less rapidly from the seventh day onward.

Optimum frequency for boar semen collection

Below are some suggestions on how to optimize the collection interval of a boar to maximize the yield per ejaculate :

  • Before the 5th day after collecting from the boar, it is best to avoid collecting from the same boar again. The ejaculate concentration may not be satisfactory to produce economically viable doses.
  • From the 6th day onwards, the concentration has not reached its maximum level, but it is still sufficient to collect from the boar again.
  • To optimize the use of your boars, try to collect them 1.2 times a week, or 60 times a year.

Please note that this is a theoretical recommendation. Indeed, as explained in the scientific article published for the French Journée de la Recherche Porcine (Swine Research Day) in 1999, different factors can also influence boar performance. The age of the boar, its genetic type or its diet can influence the concentration of an ejaculate.

Maintaining a production rate

Blank sampling is recommended for boars that are less frequently used. The duration of the rest period can have a long-term negative impact on semen quality. These blank samples will enable you to maintain a collection rhythm for your boars, and thus stimulate spermatogenesis.

Key points

To optimize the semen collection interval for a boar, try to:

  • Maintain an average of 60 semen collections per boar per year
  • If possible, avoid semen collection before 5 days of rest from the last ejaculate
  • Remember the importance of blank samples

To analyze semen, GenePro offers several solutions adapted to the size of your farm. For more information, click here

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