Puberty in Porcine

Puberty
 time point when both metabolic changes, such as hormone levels, and physical changes,
such as body growth and fat accretion, lead to the achievement of sexual maturation.

 Hypothalamic Pituitary Gonadal Axis (HPGx): key component of sexual maturation in

mammalian species (Pellettier et al., 1981).

 the development and maintenance of this endocrine axis contributes to the regulation of the
reproductive cycle.

 In both male and female axis is active, but not yet functional.
 Puberty in gilts

 Born with an immature ovary that contains primordial, primary and secondary follicles.
 Ovarian follicular development : depends on Gonadotropins
 Concentrations of FSH: elevated until 10 weeks of age and provide an initial stimulus for
ovarian follicular development
 Gradual increase in the number of LH pulses per day with increasing age
 LH and FSH: cause follicles on the ovaries to increase in size and mature.
 Ovary: grows and there are successively larger ovarian follicles that secrete greater
amounts of estradiol that in turn stimulate growth of the uterus
 Ovarian follicles: achieve a critical threshold of circulating estradiol then there is an 
LH surge that triggers first ovulation (puberty) at 5–7 months of age (80–120 kg of body
weight).
 Moderate levels of estrogen stimulate:
-increased vocalizations,
-reddening and swelling of the vulva, and
-the secretion of mucus from the vulva that feels “sticky”
 High levels of estrogen stimulate
-the standing reflex or immobilization response,
-a surge in LH secretion, and eventually
-ovulation
 The first pubertal estrus in the gilt is generally less fertile with a lesser ovulation rate
compared with subsequent estrous cycles.
 To achieve larger litters, therefore, gilts are typically inseminated at their second or third
estrus.
 Factors : breed
: season of the year
: nutrition
: social environmentand
: exposure to the boar
 Puberty in boar
 Early onset of puberty in the boar improves breeding capacity .
 225- 270 days: put into service
 Serum testoseterone concentration: low during the later half of fetal development
 week after birth : Circulating Luteinizing Hormone, Follcle Stimulating Hormone and
prolactin reach peak level
 elongation of Seminiferous tubule increases by FSH stimulation of Sertoli cells
 LH and Testoseterone blood concntrations parallel testicular development during prenatal
and post natal period
 40-250 days of age: paired testes weight increases from 6 to 120g
 mounting activity (4 mounts)
 5-8 months: first ejaculation
 18 months of life: increase number of spermatozoa and semen volume
 Duration of spermatogenic cycle: 34.4 days; transit of spermatozoa through
epididymis is about 10.2 days.
 Testoseterone sustains secretory activities of the accessory gland (seminal vesicle,
Prostate, bulbourethral) and these seminal fluids constitute a large proportion of
the ejaculate in the boar.
References:
Richard Lea, Gary C.W.(2019).Pubery and Seasonality. England, in 
Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics Tenth Edition) retrieved from https://
www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/gilt-swine