Franek S.P., G. Bilkei: Effect of Gonadotropins during Hot Summer Season Given at Different Times after Weaning on Selected Reproductive Indicators of the Sow. Acta Vet. Brno 2008, 77: 193-198.The experiment was performed on a large indoor herd during a hot season period in Alföld, Hungary. The post-weaning sows (F1 and F2 of Large White × Landrace mated to Duroc boars (mean parity 3.4 +/-0.7 SD; mean body condition 3.01 +/-0.3 SD, previous lactation length of 28.3 +/-1.5 d) were divided into four groups of similar body condition, lactation length and parity and were treated as follows:Group 1: sows (n = 420) were injected subcutaneously with 400 I.U. of Gonadotropinum sericum (pregnant mare serum gonadotropin, PMSG [eCG]) and 200 I.U. of Gonadotropinum chorionicum (human choriongonadotropin, HCG [hCG]) one day after weaning.Group 2: sows (n = 405) received subcutaneously 4 ml of saline injection one day after weaning.Group 3: sows (n = 425), purposely chosen from among animals that did not show heat within 7 days after weaning, were treated on day 7 post-weaning with PMSG and HCG as the animals in group 1.Group 4: sows (n = 415) purposely chosen from among animals that did not show heat within 7 days after weaning, were treated on day 7 post-weaning as group 2.Sows expressing oestrus, sows ovulating after treatment, treatment to oestrus intervals and follicular sizes were evaluated. The number of sows expressing oestrus, sows ovulating, and treatment to oestrus intervals differed between the groups (group 1 vs. 2: P < 0.05, group 3 vs. 4: P < 0.01). The sows treated with PMSG and HCG on day 7 post-weaning (group 3) had smaller (P < 0.05) follicular diameters compared to the sows that were treated one day after weaning. Group 4 sows had a smaller follicular diameter (3.6 +/-0.6 mm) compared to group 1 (P < 0.001) and 3 (P < 0.01).The present results show that the gonadotropin treatment one day after weaning or in the case of anoestrus 7 days after weaning overrides the negative effects of the hot summer season and effectively prevents seasonal infertility of the breeding sow. Swine, reproduction, seasonal anoestrus, gonadotropin, season, infertilityHigh ambient temperatures may negatively influence the reproductive performance of the sow (Britt et al. 1983). In a large Hungarian study, seasonal infertility was manifested by -post-weaning anoestrus, -prolonged weaning to oestrus intervals, -increased embryonic mortality, -increased abortions and stillbirths, -reduced farrowing rates, and -decreased born and weaned litter sizes (Bilkei 1995).The effects of hot season on weaning-to-oestrus intervals are mediated by ovarian follicular development (Soede et al. 1998). Sows with small follicles (< 4 mm) on day 3 after weaning are more likely to experience anoestrus or delayed oestrus compared to sows with larger follicles (Bracken et al. 2003). High ambient temperature during lactation was associated with suppressed follicular growth during lactation (Lucy et al. 2001).

In a large pig breeding unit, sows suffering from prepartum vulvovaginal discharge were selected (n = 159) for the trial. Rectal temperatures were recorded daily on days 110-113 of pregnancy and during the first 3 days post partum. Fifty-two sows (group one) had higher than 39.0°C (39.3 ± 0.3 SE °C), 107 sows (group two) had lower than 39.0 °C (38.6 ± 0.2 SE °C) "three days average prepartal rectal temperatures". While all sows in group one developed postparturient fever (40.5 ± 0.2 SE °C), only 19 of 107 (17.8%) sows with lower prepartum temperatures had postparturient fever (P < 0.001).Blood samples were collected on days 1, 3 and 5 post partum to determine the concentration of acute phase proteins. Mean serum alpha 1-acid glycoproteins (AGP) and haptoglobin (HPT) concentrations were higher on days 1, 3 and 5 (P < 0.001) post partum in sows suffering postparturient fever.Our results have shown that in farrowing units with high prevalence of preparturient vulvovaginal discharges, prefarrowing rectal temperatures might indicate impending postparturient disease of the sow.Swine, sow, parturition, prepartum body temperature, postpartum fever vulvovaginal discharge

The objective of this study was to evaluate serum concentrations of acute phase proteins (APP), haptoglobin (HPT), alpha 1-acid glycoproteins (AGP) and cortisol in indoor or outdoor raised pigs over time and under high pressure of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, and to determine whether changes in APPs were associated with pig performance. Two groups of 10 pigs each were raised indoors from weaning to slaughter (group 1), and two groups of 10 pigs each of same age and health status were raised outdoors (group 2). Serum samples were taken from each pig at weaning (at day 21 of lactation), at day 60, 90, 120 and 150 days of age. Production data (average daily gain, ADG, feed conversion ratio, FC), seropositivity to M. hyopneumoniae, HPT, AGP and cortisol were evaluated.In indoor raised pigs HPT persistently increased, in outdoor raised ones a sharp increase occurred after a cold weather period. AGP was negatively correlated with body weight, indicating that an activation of cellular immune response negatively effects growth rate of the growing finishing pigs.