Publications by authors named "Andres Suarez-Usbeck"
Protocols for fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) in swine reproduction can help increase genetic improvement and production efficiency. Different gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have been developed to gain better control of follicular development, timing, and ovulation quality; therefore, they have been extensively used in FTAI protocols. This literature review resumes the most important characteristics of the physiology of follicular development and ovulation in sows, followed by a discussion about the hormonal alternatives available to induce ovulation (human chorionic gonadotropin, hCG; porcine luteinizing hormone, LH and GnRH agonists).
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- Early puberty in gilts is crucial for farm productivity, prompting a study to compare various methods (external traits, blood progesterone, and ultrasonography) for detecting puberty in 70 gilts, with postmortem exams as the reference.
- Out of the gilts studied, 46 (65.71%) were found to be in puberty, characterized by specific reproductive features identified postmortem, with significant differences in various physical and hormonal traits compared to prepubertal gilts.
- Ultrasonography was found to be the most effective diagnostic method, with accuracy improving based on the type of equipment and technician experience, yielding the best results when using the DELTA device and an experienced technician.
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- Current protocols for gilts typically involve multiple artificial insemination doses based on estrus detection, but researchers aimed to assess a new method using buserelin and a single fixed-time insemination (FTAI-PCAI).
- The study compared two groups: one receiving conventional double insemination and another using buserelin with a single insemination, finding no significant differences in overall reproductive performance but noting advantages like higher piglet birth weight and shorter estrus duration in the buserelin group.
- Seasonal effects were observed, particularly in spring with shorter delivery times for the buserelin group, suggesting that the new FTAI-PCAI protocol could enhance efficiency in gilts' reproductive management.
The aim with this study was to compare cervical (CAI; 3 × 10 spermatozoa/90 mL) and post-cervical (PCAI; 1.5 × 10 spermatozoa/45 mL) artificial insemination (AI) techniques for frequency of incidences (unsuccessful or difficult probe passage, backflow, metritis and bleeding), values for reproductive variables and duration of the procedure in gilts. There were 644 gilts (255-270 days old, weighing 150 ± 5 kg) randomly assigned to PCAI (n = 320) and CAI (n = 324) groups.
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