Red Wattle Project Forum

I have been researching and working toward a workable protolcol for the Red Wattle Hog Association. One of the "pros" for using AI is the ability to get some superior genetics into individual herds more easily and more affordably than searching for, buying and the keeping of a boar. Another attractive thing about using AI is that you will have access to more than one blood-line at the same time.
Some of the "cons" to using AI are the problems associated with the over use of a single (or a couple) of great looking boar(s) that years down the road, have been identified as carriers of some genetic abnormality, defect or problem that is passed throughout the breed. In other breeds, this has been the cause of mandated genetic testing in animals that are effected as well as the retraction of registrations of animals that are effected by the defect.
I have consulted with registries that have had problems as well as some that have not, Dr Sponenberg, semen collectors and breeders that were both in favor and against the use of AI. The following is what I wrote up. I would like your input on this potential protocol. If you have any questions or would like an explanation of any of the rules, please just ask and I will be happy to try to clarify...this will go before the board in the next couple of weeks.
SUGGESTED RED WATTLE ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROTOCOL
1. Any boar approved for the AI program must be approved by the RWHA board. He must meet all the requirements for a blue card boar.
2. No recovery boars may be used for the AI program unless DNA is submitted to the RWHA board and this DNA results in the boar being a minimum of 85% pure Red Wattle.
3. All boars approved for AI will have 5 pictures submitted to the RWHA board. The pictures submitted must show the left side, right side, directly from the front, directly from the rear. These pictures must clearly show the legs of the boar. An additional picture looking down on the back of the boar must also be submitted.
4. Any company that owns a boar to be used in an AI program and will be performing the semen collection, will not have to be a member in order to have the piglet registered. The owner of the sow who farrows the litter from which the piglets are registered, will still have to be a member of the association in order to have the piglets registered.
5. Each boar approved will have the pictures permanently posted on the website along with the lineage of each boar. These pictures are to remain on the website for the lifetime of the association. This allows the membership access to the information on these boars for future research. All information pertaining to this boar including a change in AI status, health status and genetic faults found to be attributed to this boar, must be permanently noted in that boars information on the website.
6. Each piglet that is registered under the AI program will be given a registration number with the designation of AI and the number of the piglet registered sired by that boar. Example: registration #1234-AI01-01 (the RWHA registration number followed by the first piglet registered by the first boar admitted to the AI program. Example: #1235-AI01-02 would be the registration number of the second piglet registered to the boar AI01) These designations will be permanent. This will allow those breeders that wish to keep AI progeny out of their herds to research the lineage and know if they are getting a pig from that program.
7. All piglets registered via the AI program will submit an AI certification form that is signed by the tech that performed the AI, along with the registration application.
8. In order to avoid some of the problems that other registries have had with the over-use of a small number of superb sires, the Red Wattle Hog Association will put a “cap”on the maximum number of registered piglets that one boar can sire via AI. That number will be set at 30 for the first 3 years of the program. If in 3 years the number of people using the AI program is less than 8% of the number of members, the number of piglets can be adjusted to a greater number. The piglets that do not enter into the registry will not be counted toward the 30 piglet maximum.
Any piglet that is kept by the collector as a replacement boar for the AI program can be registered without that piglet being counted toward the 30 piglet limit. This replacement must be kept for replacement purposes and used in an AI program. There will be only one replacement boar registered per AI approved boar. If at any time, another replacement boar is desired, the collector may register a second boar if, and only if, that new replacement takes the place of a currently registered boar of that same direct line and the boar that is being replaced is taken out of the AI offering.
9. There can be no more than two boars of the same sire being used by one collector at any given time.
10. Any boar that is used in the AI program and has reached his maximum of 30 piglets entered into the registry, can be used in live cover and continue to have his piglets registered. Piglets born to live cover tend to stay in a more localized area and they generally do not travel across country. This means that, for the most part, any problems that may be found with that one sire in the future, the majority of the pigs that are affected by this boar will be in a more centralized area and not spread to far out into the US.
11. Once a boar is approved for the AI program, the semen collector will be given a certificate of approval from the RWHA along with 30 registration numbers that are designated for that boar. These 30 numbers are to be distributed by the collector. It is our recommendation that the collector offers two numbers along with the certification of service to the sow’s owner. This would encourage people to register only the very best of each litter and they allow the collector to use the boar for a longer period of time. No boar will be given more than the maximum number of registration numbers…no exceptions to this rule.
12. Any member found to be using AI and registering piglets as the product of live cover will be banned from the RWHA for a period of two years on their first offense. Any future offense for the same infraction will result in permanent ban from the association.
13. Any semen collection agency that is found to be non-compliant to the rules set forth by the RWHA, will be removed from the approved semen source list on the website and any un-used registration numbers issued to the company/agency will be considered null and void. That company will then be banned from registrations for a period of 3 years.

Dr Sponenberg's seal of approval!

From: dpsponen@vt.edu<mailto:dpsponen@vt.edu>
This is actually very, very good! I cannot think of anything to add. The wording is good, and the thinking behind the rules is very good and very well explained. This is an excellent first step, and sets the stage for getting experience with this in a manner that is safe for the breed.
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> Good work!
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> Phil

You seem to have developed a good protocol for AI. My only suggestion is that the owner of the boar be required to be a member of the red wattle association. After all, they are requiring the services of the association board to evaluate their potential AI boars and to maintain records on their boars. Also, they will be profiting from the sale of the RW semen so why not contribute to the association by paying dues like the rest of us?

This is not a bad suggestion and I will bring it up but most of the time the company that does the AI either owns or leases the boars and the registration of the piglets follows the sow but we could ask for either membership or a one time fee to process the boar application. What would a fair fee for processing the paperwork be? Would you guys rather that the company be a member or pay a one time fee? Right now SVF is a member because they own the sows that will farrow the piglets they are using for the study and the sows came to them already bred.

Walter, maybe I have mis-understood, but to register any RW the person registering already needs to be a member. What you are saying is to own an RW I have to be a member if I am going to use it for breeding or make any profit. Sounds like double dipping to me. You got your reigistration and compensation from the first person. Now you are suggesting we collect agian for something that has already been payed for. Also, I'm one of the people proposing to offer AI. No one that I know of is asking RWHA to keep records or evaluate boars from the AI end. That's all from RWHA. I'm proposing keeping a lot more reocords of my own. It's CYA and it's good business. As for being a member, I already am and have been. I do think it is unreasonable to require an AI distributor to be a member. That would be the same as requiring any one who sells an RW be a member just becuase they are making a profit. Only people who want to do the initial registration need be members as it is now, I'm good wit that. I believe that making the initial registration correct and legitimate is most important first step.

Theresa,
I know we have talked about most of this. However item 9 and 11 don't sound familiar.

"9. There can be no more than two boars of the same sire being used by one collector at any given time."

This probably wouldn't happen anyway, mostly a cost factor in keeping the boars. Chances of be from the same litter, slim to none. Same sire, possible. You can only get 15 doses max from a good boar and good day from one collection. Each sale usaually required two doses. At most you could collect from a boar twice a week with out stressing them and keeping their production up. If one is injured or not well there needs to be time for healing. Anyway, not a real big deal. But if you try to micromange the AI industry you won't get many suppliers. BTW, I'm looking at more diversity. I really wouldn't want more than one from the same sire starting out. Can't afford to feed it.

"11. Once a boar is approved for the AI program, the semen collector will be given a certificate of approval from the RWHA along with 30 registration numbers that are designated for that boar. These 30 numbers are to be distributed by the collector. It is our recommendation that the collector offers two numbers along with the certification of service to the sow’s owner. This would encourage people to register only the very best of each litter and they allow the collector to use the boar for a longer period of time. No boar will be given more than the maximum number of registration numbers…no exceptions to this rule."

You already talked about a numbering system in item 6, which is good. Giving the collector numbers to use and limiting them isn't necessary. Assigning numbers and letters should all be up to the registrar as it is now. Also. there are not any limits on how many for registry natual. If you are going that route there ought to be limits there too.

The rest of the proposal looks pretty good. Thanks for the time you have and will continue to put in on this.

Hi Jim,
My only concern was with the RW association approving boars and maintaining records, but at no cost to the boar owner. Maybe Theresa's suggestion of a one time fee would be more appropriate. Good luck with your AI venture!

trying to develop guidelines like this for the RW community has got to be tough, covering as many bases as you can making it manageable and enforceable. someone is going to have to monitor and enforce.
thanks for the best wishes on the AI. hope I don't come across as offensive or an authority. it's easy to misinterpret someone's intent when you can't see or hear them.

I got a suggestion from Alison at the ALBC. She said that there is a place that stores semen from different breeds as insurance against a catastrophic event that makes the breed either extinct or close enough to it. It has been suggested that the collector could contribute a certain amount of semen per boar used to this DNA bank an in return we could offer for no cost, the posting of the boar, the contact information of the collector (basically an advertisement) in exchange for the donation of the semen to the bank. What do you guys think of this idea. It would be nice to know that the breed would go on if something horrible were to happen. I have an email out to Alison to ask how much semen they need and won't get an answer until she comes in on Monday.

Theresa. That sounds like a good idea to me...depending on the details. Please let us know what Allison says.

Jim, We talked about the 30 registrations when we talked about coming up with a plan that limits the number of piglets but still allowed a profit. We talked about so much in such a short amount of time that we may have different understands of the conversation too, who knows. The two boars from the same direct line came from a comment that you made about getting a super nice boar from one breeding but being out of the number of registrations allowed. I thought that you had a very valid point so I thought that the replacement pig, as long as he was used for breeding in your program should be allowed. I think that having more than two from the same direct line (father/son/grandfather) would be defeating the purpose of limiting the potential damage that would be done if one line was found to have problems in the future. I just wanted to cover the bases if someone said that they were going to use the boar but then sold him as a registered boar without using him thereby by-passing the rule. Hope this makes some sense.
Walt...glad that you like that idea, I will post here as soon as I hear from Alison!