K. Alexopoulos, Α.Karagianidis, Κ.Mposkos, Ι.Mauromatis

In this paper certain reproductive parameters were studied in a swine unit, after the application of natural service (group A, 94 sows) and artificial insemination (group B, 112 sows). Allocation of the sows was done randomly. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the conception rate of the sows during 1st oestrus after weaning (75% and 78,6%, respectively), the mean 1st to 2nd oestrus interval in the sows returning to oestrus (25,3±1,4 and 26,4±1,8 days, respectively), the mean total number of piglets born (10,9±0,4 and 11,4±0,3 piglets, respectively), the mean number of piglets born alive (10,4±0,4 and 10,9±0,3 piglets, respectively), and the mean number of alive piglets at weaning (8,8±0,3 and 8,8±0,2 piglets, respectively). In addition, the three latter parameters were not influenced by the number of natural services and artificial inseminations per oestrus. Comparing the total number of sows fertilized with artificial insemination with the total number of the sows naturally mated, we observed significantly shorter farrowing to conception interval σύλληψης (41,2±2,8 and 51,0±3,5 days, respectively), as well as significantly shorter wearing to conception interval (15,2±2,8 and 24,3±3,5 days, respectively) in the former group.