Proper procedures
A good boar should reach about 90kg at around 140 days old. Not more than about 3kg of good pig feed should be used for each kilogram of weight gained from when the pig weighs 30kg until it reaches 90kg: this indicates a good feed-to-weight gain ratio.
Moreover,proper deworming, hygienic living conditions, including well-ventilated housing, vaccination, and access to clean, cool water are all important factors affecting good growth rates. A boar should not be younger than eight months when it starts working. Neither should it be used for mating more than twice a week before it is one year old. Thereafter, it can be used three times a week, but preferably not on consecutive days.
Useful tips
Good management is essential to ensure that mating takes place successfully:
- Always try match boars to sows of a similar size;
- Try to undertake mating in the boar pen or in a pen familiar to the boar;
- Always remove dangerous obstacles. In addition,ensure that the floor is made of a non-slip material such as rough or rippled concrete;
- Try to be present in the mating pen for a few minutes while the boar gets used to its surroundings (if it is not his own pen);
- Keep a hard wooden board handy to separate the boar and sow if they appear to want to harass each other;
- Let the boar mount the sow only once properly and then allow a few minutes of interaction between the pigs. Repeat the mating 12 hours later and every two to three days. Do this if the boar refuses to mate the first time