How to feed the Al boar

摘要

Early maturing boars with a high growth potential pose a major challenge from a nutritional point of view, at the stud supplying semen for artificial insemination (AI). Feed for the boar represents less than 10% of the production cost of a dose of semen at typical AI centres. But it can have a major impact on the costs of the whole stud, because incorrect feeding leads almost invariably to a higher than normal level of unproductive boars. Over-feeding, for example, has been shown to cause obesity andleg problems that made culling rates excessive even though more semen was produced. This is particularly a function of the energy supply, of course. Boars that receive enough energy to exhibit positive weight gains will produce more semen than those ona neutral or negative plane of nutrition. On the other hand there is the evidence that a lower crude protein intake (resulting from restricted feeding to limit the growth of the young boar) may reduce both libido and sperm production.