Early disruption of pregnancy as a manifestation of seasonal infertility in pigs

All gilts and sows in production from which the detailed production information was available in a 160-sow unit were included to the study. In winter–spring, there were complete data available from 47 animals and in summer–autumn from 64 animals. The farm had a consistent history of the seasonally reduced farrowing rate in summer–autumn. Success of inseminations was monitored during a 4-month breeding period in winter–spring and in summer–autumn. Each animal was bled twice a week for 6 weeks starting a day before insemination and the blood samples were assayed to determine serum progesterone concentration. The blood samples were also assayed for cortisol to detect any acute infectious response. Starting on day 18, animals were pregnancy tested by transcutaneous real time ultrasound twice a week. In winter–spring, the farrowing rate was 72% (58 inseminations, 1.2 inseminations/sow) and in summer–autumn 63% (81 inseminations, 1.3 inseminations/sow). In winter–spring, there was only one detected case of early disruption of pregnancy (EDP), whereas nine such cases were recognised in summer–autumn. Five out of those nine animals returned to oestrus with a mean insemination to oestrus interval of 25.8±1.6 days. One sow returned to oestrus 35 days after insemination and three sows did not return to oestrus within 45 days. However, two of these sows had progesterone profiles that indicated an undetected oestrus around day 25. In those nine animals, no acute phase infectious response as indicated by a rise in serum cortisol was evident. Serum progesterone concentrations in the animals eventually loosing the pregnancy tended to be lower on day 13 (no significant difference) and were significantly lower on day 20 when compared with animals remaining pregnant. There was no difference in serum progesterone levels of pregnant animals between winter–spring and summer–autumn. Litter size was not affected by the season. The weaning to oestrus interval tended to be longer in summer–autumn. This study showed that the seasonally decreased farrowing rate is partly caused by EDP. The lowered progesterone concentrations in summer–autumn were demonstrable only in “problem animals”.