The influence of daily movement of gilts and the environment in which boar exposure occurs on the efficacy of boar-induced precocious puberty in the gilt

ABSTRACT To examine the influence of boar exposure environment and daily movement on the efficacy of boar-induced precocious puberty in the gilt, 60 Large White × (Large White × Landrace) prepubertal gilts from 12 litters were randomly allocated within litter to five treatment groups of six, in two replicates, at 145 days of age. Treatments were (1) control (no movement or boar exposure), (2) gilts moved to a boar pen and exposed to a mature boar, (3) gilts moved to a different pen and exposed to a boar, (4) gilts moved to a different pen only, (5) gilts moved to a vacated boar pen. Treatments occurred for 30 min/day for 75 days, or until pubertal oestrus was observed. Gilts showing pubertal oestrus were removed and slaughtered. Ovaries were examined to confirm reproductive status. Gilts failing to exhibit oestrus by 240 days of age were slaughtered and nominally ascribed a pubertal age of 245 days. Age at puberty was significantly earlier ( P < 0·001) in treatments 2 and 3 involving boar exposure than in treatments 1, 4 and 5 not involving boar exposure. No significant difference was observed in the median gilt age at puberty between the two forms of boar exposure used in this experiment. Thus the efficacy of the boar effect does not appear to be significantly affected by the environment in which exposure to the boar takes place. Additionally, it is suggested that the stress of a daily pen change is insufficient to stimulate precocious puberty in gilts in the absence of boar contact.