Identification of differentially expressed genes in sexed pig embryos during post-hatching development in primiparous sows exposed to differing intermittent suckling and breeding strategies

Publication date: Available online 4 June 2016 Source:Genomics Data Author(s): Stephen Tsoi, Milena Blanes, Tai Yuan Chen, Pieter Langendijk, Rebecca Athorn, George Foxcroft, Michael Dyck The aim of commercial pig breeding programs is maximize the number of pigs produced per sow per year. Given that sows exhibit an estrus during lactation is a potential means of increasing productivity of a pig breeding herd without reducing in lactation length, conventionally, weaning of piglets at a relatively young age is often related to post-weaning piglet performance which compromises piglet welfare. Therefore, intermittent suckling (IS) is a management technique in which lactating sows are separated from their piglets for a fixed period of the days and allowing sows to continue nursing piglets while exhibiting estrus and being breed during lactation, thereby promoting both piglet well-being and sow reproductive performance Newton et al. (1987), Gerritsen et al. (Feb 2009) [1,2]. For this study, primiparous sows (PP) were exposed to 28 day (D28) lactation with intermittent suckling (IS) during the final week prior to weaning. The sows detected to be in estrus during lactation were either bred at this first estrus (FE) during lactation (IS21FE), or were “skipped” and bred at their second estrus which occurred after final weaning at D28 (IS21SE). Despite the benefits of IS, the effects of the maternal physiology related to breeding during lactation on embryonic trans...
Source: Genomics Data - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research