Artificial Insemination in Pigs. How to do artificial insemination in hogs.
If you have been considering using artificial insemination in pigs, then you’ve found the right place!
Using artificial insemination in pigs at home is an excellent way to bring superior genetics to your herd and minimize some of your expenses by eliminating the need to have a boar on your farm.
If this is your first time reading about artificial insemination (AI), you need to read my post about how you can benefit from using AI on your farm here.
This post contains affiliate links. To view my affiliate disclaimer, click here.
I’m going to walk you through the steps of performing artificial insemination in pigs in this post. It’s a pretty straightforward process, but you need to make sure that you are comfortable with all of the steps before you try to perform the procedure with your pigs.
As you read through this article, you’ll notice that I use the term “AI”. Artificial insemination is a mouthful and is commonly referred to as “AI”.
What You Need for Artificial Insemination in Pigs
You’ll need to make sure that you have a few things before you’re ready to start- you’ll need some artificial insemination rods, lubricant (NOT spermicidal lube!), damp paper towels and your semen.
Most semen companies carry basic supplies such as rods and lube and will ask you if you need them to ship you some with your order. They’re very reasonably priced also. You can expect to spend anywhere from $5-20 for roads and lube.
Amazon carries veterinary grade lubricant from NASCO. Up until recently, they didn’t carry AI rods, but now they do! This is great news for those of us that do most of our shopping through Amazon! They have foam-tipped rods in a package of spiral tipped rods that you can purchase in a larger pack.
Also make sure that your pig is in standing heat and ready for AI.
Make Sure She’s Ready
There are a few signs that your pig is ready for insemination. One of the most commonly used ways is a test called the back pressure test. The back pressure test is simply when you apply pressure to her back similar to how a boar would, and she supports your weight.
Some sows will even arc their back slightly and push back against you. If they are not in standing heat, they will move away from the pressure. Many sows that are in standing heat will allow you to sit on their back.
Once your sow is exhibiting that she is in standing heat, you can perform AI.
Timing the AI
I recommend that you perform AI at least twice during a heat cycle, preferably three times.
You will AI in 12-24 hour intervals.
So if you AI twice, you may want to do an 18-24 hour interval. So you would AI at say, 3 p.m. the first time and then 9 a.m.-3.p.m. the next day. If you AI three times, you could AI every 12 hours.
The first AI could be at 9 a.m., then around 9 p.m. the same day, and then again at 9 a.m. the second day.
The times you AI all depend on when your sow or gilt is ready.
Lucille, our Landrace gilt. She is in heat and ready for artificial insemination.
When you are ready for the procedure, take all of your supplies with you to your sow or gilt.
I like to put everything in a clean cooler or bucket. (A helping hand is nice also!)
Save me for later!
Artificial Insemination in Pigs- The Process
What to do for successful AI in pigs
The first thing you’ll do is clean around the vulva with damp paper towels. Make sure that you DON’T put soap on the paper towels, only water. The soap will kill sperm cells.
You’re removing any dirt or debris that could possibly enter her reproductive tract. Once she’s cleaned up, you are ready for the next step.
Put a generous amount of the lubricant on the end of the AI rod. This helps the rod go smoothly into the reproductive tract.
A pig’s vaginal tract is very close to her urethra, where she urinates from. Her urethra is located at the bottom of her vulva, so you want to insert your AI rod at a slightly upward angle to avoid the urethra.
Once the rod is in, you’ll gently push the rod until you hit the cervix. If you are using a foam-tipped rod, you will gently push the rod into the cervix. You will know that you have entered the cervix properly when you gently pull back on the rod and feel slight resistance.
If you are using a spiral-tipped rod, you will start turning the rod counterclockwise to lock the rod into the cervix. Gently pull back to make sure there is a slight resistance.
The nonspermicidal lube that we used and the spiral-tipped AI rod. In this picture, I’ve already generously coated the tip of the rod with the lube.
Insert the tip of the rod at a slight upward angle to avoid hitting the urethral opening.
Once the tip of the rod is in, continue to gently press the rod in until you feel the resistance of the cervix, then begin twisting the rod gently counter-clockwise.
Once the rod is in place, you can attach the bag of semen to the end of the rod.
The semen bag will need the tip cut off to allow the semen to enter the rod. The corkscrew or foam-tipped end of the rod has a hole in it. This hole will dispense the sperm into the cervix or directly into the uterus.
When the rod is in place, have someone clip off the end of the sperm bag and attach it to the end of the rod. The sperm bag is a light purple bag and looks white or transparent in this photo from the sun hitting it.
If your sow or gilt is in heat, her reproductive tract will begin contracting and will pull the sperm into her body.
Once the bag is empty, you can remove the bag, leaving the rod in place. You want to give the sperm in the rod time to leave the rod and empty into her.
The tube of the rod is clear, so you will be able to see if there is fluid or air in the tube. Once you can no longer see sperm in the end of the AI rod, wait another minute or two to make sure that the entire rod is empty.
Give her body time to work and pull the semen in. You can give the bag a little pressure to begin the movement, but don’t force the semen. Her body should pull it in without much help from you.
If you used a foam-tipped rod, you can gently pull it back out of the cervix and pull it out. If you used a corkscrew rod, you can twist it clockwise to remove it from the cervix. You will feel slight resistance as you back it out of the cervix. Once it feels like it is out of the cervix, you can gently remove it.
Artificial insemination in pigs really isn’t complicated. It also offers so many benefits that you can’t get with natural breeding.
That’s it! Hopefully now she can start growing babies and working for you! If you’re successful, then you will have a pregnant momma. Click here to read what you can expect during pig pregnancy.
Have you performed AI with pigs before? Let me know!
You might also be interested in:
How do you store the semen, and where do you order it from?
Kristi,
It depends on what type of semen you get: fresh or frozen. Frozen semen is harder to keep since it requires a tank with liquid nitrogen. Fresh semen is how most pig semen is sold. It will come in a bag inside of a styrofoam cooler box. Plan on ordering it as close to the time that your sow will come in heat as possible so that you don’t have it too long since the sperm will start to die after a few days. You’ll keep it in a cool spot in your home and gently turn the bags twice a day to help the sperm survive and stay fresh.
Where do I order pig semen from.
Nothing fancy like show pig’s.
Carol,
There are a ton of places that you can order pig semen from at a very reasonable price. Swine Genetics International has a big selection of both commercial pigs and higher end pig semen. I ordered pigs semen from them a couple of years ago for our backyard pigs. I was surprised at how cheap semen was, even from show pigs. I’ve also used a few other semen companies that specialize in show pigs and it’s been reasonably priced, so I didn’t feel bad ordering it.
Hi Shelby, am Kevin from Cameroon a sub Saharan country along the gulf of Guinea. I’m into pig farming, i love your article on AI, i want to ask if it is possible to get semen from US and will the semen survive the traveling distance?
Kevin,
I’m not sure that fresh semen would make it to you in time but frozen semen definitely would. I would look around for frozen semen.
Thanks for a clear and concise article! How do you know the first time your pig comes in heat? Do you just put pressure on her back everyday?
Lydia,
There are a few things that you can be on the lookout for without having to apply pressure to her back. Her vulva will become swollen and she will have watery discharge coming from it. She will become more restless (think climbing gates, being louder than normal, etc.) Also, if you have a boar around, she will become much more interested in him while she’s in heat. If there isn’t a boar around, watch how she acts around other sows and gilts. Many sows and gilts will mount other pigs while they are in heat. So, if you see her trying to mount other pigs she’s probably in heat.
My husband says the sperm can be damaged by squeezing the semen tube during administration. I say no way…. True or not?
Applying slight squeezing pressure to the tube will not damage the sperm.
No you must not squeeze Seamen into pig … once the stick is inserted into Cervix the pigs Natural reproductive internals will Suck the Seamen in when it has sucked all wait a minute or two so all the seamen goes thru tube you will see …
then wait another few minutes to remove tube.
IF YOU SQUEEZE THE SEAMEN IT WILL BOT WORK CORRECT AND WILL BE DAMAGED !!!!!
I’m Henry from Nigeria. Please how do I get semen of a good specie of pig sent to me in Nigeria. I’m into pig farming.
Henry,
Most semen companies will ship swine semen worldwide. I would contact some companies and see if you can have semen shipped there. Some of the U.S. companies may ship there. If they don’t they may be able to tell you a company that does ship worldwide.
hi love your article I’m new to pig farming and I’m going to give AI a go.
From piglet to maturity when will a sow go into heat is it 6 months of age or a year. Also how long are they in heat for 24, 48 hours
Doing the standing heat test and she lets me how long do I have to get the semem home to inseminate her. The last question I’ve read of people inseminating 4 times every 6 hours is that needed. or can you do just 2-3
How will I know if my pig is pregnant?