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Bìol. Tvarin. 2023; 25 (1): 3–8.
https://doi.org/10.15407/animbiol25.01.003
Received 08.09.2022 ▪ Revision 23.12.2022 ▪ Accepted 27.03.2023 ▪ Published online 31.03.2023

Effects of supplemental oxytocin or prostaglandin F₂_α analogue in extended boar semen on piglet productivity of gilts and sows artificially inseminated in summer

T. Schwarz¹, P. Jaros¹, R. Tuz¹, J. Nowicki¹, Stephanie St. Jules², M. Małopolska³, M. Sharan⁴, P. M. Bartlewski²

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¹University of Agriculture in Kraków, 21 Al. Mickiewicza, Kraków, 31-120, Poland
²University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
³National Research Institute of Animal Production, 1 Krakowska str., Balice n. Kraków, 32-083, Poland
⁴Institute of Animal Biology NAAS, 38 V. Stusa str., Lviv, 79034, Ukraine

We determined the effects of oxytocin (OT) and prostaglandin F_2α analogue (PG) added to extended boar semen on the duration of artificial insemination (AI) and reproductive performance of pigs bred in July and August (temperate climate of Central Europe). Eighty gilts and second parity sows (G+SP) and sixty-four multiparous sows (M) were divided into three groups. Group OT (11 G+SP and 37 M) and group PG (20 G+SP and 28 M) were artificially inseminated twice (at the onset of estrus and 22–24 h later) using extended semen supplemented with 20 IU of OT or 5 mg of PG, respectively. Thirty-three G+SP and 15 M served as controls (C) inseminated with non-supplemented semen. The mean duration of the first AI was shorter (P<0.05) in M compared with G+SP females inseminated with PG-supplemented semen (80±22 s vs. 191±26 s, respectively), whereas the second AI was shorter (P<0.05) in M than in G+SP artificially inseminated with OT-supplemented semen (93±15 s vs. 192±28 s). The mean pregnancy rate was lower (P<0.05) in C G+SP (26/33; 85%) compared with OT G+SP females (11/11; 100%). The OT M females had more (P<0.05) stillborn piglets per litter compared with their G+SP counterparts (0.8±0.1 vs. 0.1±0.3). In summary, the addition of PG was associated with shorter first AI times in multiparous sows compared with G+SP, but with lower farrowing rates in younger animals. Oxytocin supplementation was associated with a shorter second AI and higher pregnancy rates in young females, but more stillborn piglets per litter in older sows.

Key words: pig, oxytocin, prostaglandin, artificial insemination, summer

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