In the last year or so, South Africa’s pig farming industry has been feeling pressure: first, from the Covid-19 pandemic, and then from African swine fever.
In a collaborative effort, Afrivet and Vetoquinol are hoping to ease some of the pressures that farmers are facing with a new product called Boarbetter.
Launched in September 2021 in Gauteng, Boarbetter is a reproductive aid that maximises the mating behaviour and response in female pigs. Pigs have a higher number of olfactory receptors than humans and many other mammals, and when in heat, they exude sexual pheromones.
In other words, a pig’s sense of smell is key to their reproduction, and by using Boarbetter, pig farmers increase the sexual responsiveness of female pigs in heat.
The product is a microemulsion made up of the three boar pheromones found in boar saliva, and is optimally packaged as an aerosol solution, or spray.
When applied to the sow, the animal’s main olfactory receptors are activated. These receptors recognise the chemical structure of the product and transforms it into an electrical signal, which is then communicated to the animal’s central nervous system where it amplifies their sexual responsiveness.
Why use Boarbetter?
During reproduction, a female in heat may not emit a strong enough smell for mating to take place, which makes Boarbetter the ideal solution, says Afrivet.
Applying the product increases her pheromones, thereby increasing her smell, and making her more attractive to the receptive male boars.
Boarbetter also helps with the sow’s libido level in cases of young or tired boars, and makes the sow more receptive to the boar’s smell. The increased receptiveness encourages the sow to stand longer during the mating process.
“Additionally”, Afrivet adds, “ensuring optimum sexual responsiveness in pigs is especially important in today’s time of increased disease challenges. Using Boarbetter to achieve a higher reproductive rate amongst pigs, contributes to the tightening of farm biosecurity and therefore reduces the risk in the spreading of diseases such as African swine fever (ASF).”
To learn more about Boarbetter, you can contact Afrivet through their website.
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