Assessment of methods for accurate reproductive tract scoring by vulva width as a tool for gilt selection

An abstract of a study by Romoser et al determining the accuracy of different vulva scoring methods on a commercial farm is presented. At 15 wk of age, a low proportion of variability in vulva size could be explained by body weight. Importantly, correlation between the measurement with digital calipers was strong for the farm personnel score, tool A score, and tool B score, demonstrating each method's effectiveness in accurately discerning gilts into groups based on vulva size.