Cultivation of replacement gilts with an assessment of their reproductive qualities by the first farrow

In this paper, the issues of intensive cultivation of two-breed replacement gilts of Yorkshire x Landrace breeds and purebred pigs of the Yorkshire breed are considered. 4 groups of replacement gilts were selected for the study: two groups of two-breed replacement gilts and two groups of purebred pigs of the Yorkshire breed. The study was conducted at a large industrial pig breeding complex of Verdazernoprodukt LLC at the Ryazan region, the Russian Federation in the period between 2017 and 2020. The average daily gain was calculated from the moment the pigs entered the growth room from 2.5 to 7.5 months of age. The authors justify the importance of preparing replacement livestock for reproduction by the cycling method using trailer boars. The reproductive capacity of replacement gilts was evaluated by the first farrowing. As a result of the conducted study, it was determined that during the growing period it was necessary to strictly control the live weight gain of replacement gilts, to prevent sharp fluctuations in average daily gain. After 4 months of age, it is recommended to control the average daily gain in replacement gilts at the level of 500-600 g. It is also necessary to stimulate sexual heat in replacement gilts, starting from the age of 160 days, which contributes to the formation and readiness of replacement gilts for reproduction, with 3 to 4 full-fledged heat periods. A well-organized system of breeding and preparation of replacement gilts for reproduction contributes to obtaining high production indicators.