OPUPIG-Establishing Ovum pick-up in sows
Innovative research into assisted reproductive technologies has been a key to the growth and profitability of Norwegian agriculture. We aim to provide a protocol for Ovum pick-up (OPU) in sows, which is essential for successful embryo transfer (ET). Commercial use of ET can speed up the conversion from conventional to specific pathogen-free swine herds, a clear goal of the Norwegian swine farmers for the next few years. Also - with ET, valuable genetic lines can easily be conserved. The OPU-technique could be the first part of a sustainable and welfare-friendly ET program, that does not require surgical interventions in donors or recipients. ET in sows enables higher profitability and sustainability both locally and worldwide.
OPU is commercially available for mares and cows. Due to anatomical challenges, OPU is currently not applicable on-farm for sows. A pilot study on three sows at SEARCH under general anesthesia showed promising results, with the consistent recovery of oocytes after repeated OPU sessions and no noted adverse effects on the animals. Although characterized as non-invasive, OPU implies multiple punctures of follicles and therefore, it is essential to quantify pain reactions related to the OPU procedure. As the pilot study was carried out under general anesthesia, only severe procedural pain could have been detected. However, post-procedural pain would likely have been recognized by the assessment of the animals' behaviour after the experiments. The sows were highly motivated to stand and eat after recovering from the anesthesia and did display normal rooting behaviour after the sessions. Further, no severe pathology was found on post-mortem examination of the pilot animals. The coming experiment will address OPU in physically restrained sows on a commercial farm.
For the first experiment we will recruit 36 TN70 sows for OPU in a commercial claw trimming chute, and 32 TN70 sows as controls. Another 10 sows will be recruited in a pilot study to find an alternative for sedation and/or epidural administration prior to OPU with the least possible adverse effects on the experimental animals. The number of animals is calculated to balance statistical power with the 3Rs of animal welfare, and to probably detect an effect size of 0.8 by a power of 0.8.
Behavioural changes like back-arching, vocal responses, trembling, and conditioned fear reactions can indicate pain, and will be assessed before, during, and after OPU. In addition, to draw stronger inferences about how unpleasant the animals find the procedure, a motivational testing component will be added to the experiment. An approach-avoidance test will be set up, where the animals will be trained to access a treat in the OPU-chute. Aversion towards the procedure may be quantified by evaluating reluctancy to enter the chute the day following the OPU-procedure, and compared to control animals. Analysis of repeated salivary cortisol samples before, during and after the procedure will also be performed in order to assess the endocrine stress response in the animals during OPU. The trials will be stopped if the predetermined levels of acceptable reactions from the animals are exceeded.
OPU is commercially available for mares and cows. Due to anatomical challenges, OPU is currently not applicable on-farm for sows. A pilot study on three sows at SEARCH under general anesthesia showed promising results, with the consistent recovery of oocytes after repeated OPU sessions and no noted adverse effects on the animals. Although characterized as non-invasive, OPU implies multiple punctures of follicles and therefore, it is essential to quantify pain reactions related to the OPU procedure. As the pilot study was carried out under general anesthesia, only severe procedural pain could have been detected. However, post-procedural pain would likely have been recognized by the assessment of the animals' behaviour after the experiments. The sows were highly motivated to stand and eat after recovering from the anesthesia and did display normal rooting behaviour after the sessions. Further, no severe pathology was found on post-mortem examination of the pilot animals. The coming experiment will address OPU in physically restrained sows on a commercial farm.
For the first experiment we will recruit 36 TN70 sows for OPU in a commercial claw trimming chute, and 32 TN70 sows as controls. Another 10 sows will be recruited in a pilot study to find an alternative for sedation and/or epidural administration prior to OPU with the least possible adverse effects on the experimental animals. The number of animals is calculated to balance statistical power with the 3Rs of animal welfare, and to probably detect an effect size of 0.8 by a power of 0.8.
Behavioural changes like back-arching, vocal responses, trembling, and conditioned fear reactions can indicate pain, and will be assessed before, during, and after OPU. In addition, to draw stronger inferences about how unpleasant the animals find the procedure, a motivational testing component will be added to the experiment. An approach-avoidance test will be set up, where the animals will be trained to access a treat in the OPU-chute. Aversion towards the procedure may be quantified by evaluating reluctancy to enter the chute the day following the OPU-procedure, and compared to control animals. Analysis of repeated salivary cortisol samples before, during and after the procedure will also be performed in order to assess the endocrine stress response in the animals during OPU. The trials will be stopped if the predetermined levels of acceptable reactions from the animals are exceeded.