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Title: LOW DOSE ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION OF SWINE WITH SPERM SORTED FOR SEX USING AN INTRAUTERINE TECHNIQUE IN SOWS

Author
item JOHNSON, L - COLLABORATOR, ARS
item Guthrie, Howard
item Dobrinsky, John
item Welch, Glenn

Submitted to: International Congress on Animal Reproduction
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/8/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Conventional swine AI utilizes an average of 3 billion sperm in 80 to 100 ml per insemination. Since flow cytometrically production of sorted sperm is limited to 5 to 10 million X or Y sperm/hr it is very difficult to establish pregnancies using conventional AI. Experiments were performed in order to determine whether AI using much lower sperm numbers could be used if sperm were deposited just beyond the cervix during the estrus period in multiparous sows at post-weaning estrus (WE) or after altrenogest synchronization, PMSG, and hCG (SE). Inseminations were done between 34 and 46 hr after the onset of estrus in WE sows or 42 hr after hCG injection in SE sows. The insemination catheter consisted of an Melrose catheter (MC) in which the bore had been enlarged to accommodate an internal catheter. The internal catheter received 5 ml of BTS extender and was inserted into the MC until its tip was just inside opening of the MC. The MC was locked in the cervix and the internal catheter was manipulated through the cervix into one uterine horn. The concentrated semen (3 ml), extended to 20 ml with BTS, was inseminated and followed by 5 ml of BTS alone. A total of 18 sows were AI. Eight pregnancies were produced. Six WE sows were AI with a total 100-300 million unsorted sperm divided between 2 AI. Of the 6, 5 became pregnant; 4 reached 100-105 days gestation and one was slaughtered at 30 days and 19 embryos were recovered. Five SE sows were AI once with 150-400 million unsorted sperm; two were pregnant at 95-100 days gestation. Seven sows were AI once with 60-400 million sorted sperm; one is pregnant at 90 days gestation. Results show that pregnancies can be maintained with 100-400 million sperm placed in the uterus by AI and provide support for results of surgical insemination studies with low sperm numbers.