Bioscientifica Proceedings

Summary. Behaviour in pigs is sexually dimorphic as early as 1 month of age; mounting of penmates is observed more frequently for males than for females. This mounting reaches its highest frequency during the 2nd month of life and then declines to a low frequency in prepubertal pigs. During the prepubertal period (3-5 months of age), bipotentiality of sexual behaviour is apparent in boars because they will not only mount oestrous females but they are also...

Keywords: boar exposure; puberty; gilts; pheromones© 1990 Journals of Reproduction & Fertility Ltd...

Summary. Behavioural responses can have direct effects on reproduction when the performance of the behaviour contributes to productivity (e.g. achievement of copulation). Alternatively, there are indirect effects where a behavioural change is insufficient to allow adaptation to an environmental change and so the animal has to resort to physiological mechanisms with potential adverse effects on productivity.Boar contact has substantial ...

Summary. Litters of domestic piglets show strong sibling competition. large differences among litter-mates in birth weight and rate of growth, and, in the absence of human intervention, a high mortality rate. This combination of traits suggests that pigs are using a reproductive strategy similar to that of certain bird species which produce one or more small 'spare' young whose death or survival is determined by sibling competition. Death through competit...