Control of Pig Reproduction focuses on carefully evaluated techniques and technologies involved in the control of pig reproduction. The selection first ponders on the sexual development of male pigs, including early fetal, perinatal, and pubertal periods. The text also discusses testicular steroids and boar taint; interrelationships between spermatozoa, female reproductive tract, and egg investments; and artificial insemination. Discussions focus on androgens, estrogens, deposition of semen and uterine transit, sperm regulation and release by the isthmus, and types of artificial insemination. The manuscript examines endocrine control of sexual maturation in female pigs and sexual differentiation of the stimulatory estrogen feedback mechanism and factors affecting the natural attainment of puberty in gilts. Discussions focus on development of ovarian function and gonadal steroid levels; development of the stimulatory estrogen feedback mechanism; and maturation of negative feedback of gonadal steroids. The text also takes a look at controlled induction of puberty, endocrine control of the estrus cycle, and control of ovulation. The selection is a valuable reference for farmers and readers interested in pig reproduction.

The papers in this Supplement address many aspects of pig reproduction, including: development of the follicle and the corpus luteum, oocyte development in vivo and in vitro, fertilization in vivo and in vitro, embryonic and placental development, gestation and parturition, and new technologies including somatic cloning and functional genomics. basic molecular and cellular biology, which provide new insight into pig reproductive physiology and regulation. These papers provide an authoritative source of information that will be invaluable for students, teachers, researchers, veterinarians, consultants and technologists interested in all aspects of pig reproduction.

As a continuation of the earlier volumes in this series, the proceedings of the Eighth International Conference provide authoritative and up-to-date information on pig reproduction research. This volume, which contains manuscripts accompanying the state-of-the art lectures, the parallel sessions, and the expanded abstracts, provides an authoritative and up-to-date source of information on research in pig reproduction. This text is an invaluable resource for students, teachers, veterinarians, animal scientists, consultants, and technologists with an interest in all aspects of pig reproduction.

Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: A Way Forward reviews the science that underpins the Bureau of Land Management's oversight of free-ranging horses and burros on federal public lands in the western United States, concluding that constructive changes could be implemented. The Wild Horse and Burro Program has not used scientifically rigorous methods to estimate the population sizes of horses and burros, to model the effects of management actions on the animals, or to assess the availability and use of forage on rangelands. Evidence suggests that horse populations are growing by 15 to 20 percent each year, a level that is unsustainable for maintaining healthy horse populations as well as healthy ecosystems. Promising fertility-control methods are available to help limit this population growth, however. In addition, science-based methods exist for improving population estimates, predicting the effects of management practices in order to maintain genetically diverse, healthy populations, and estimating the productivity of rangelands. Greater transparency in how science-based methods are used to inform management decisions may help increase public confidence in the Wild Horse and Burro Program.

This new edition of the Code is intended as a guide for all people responsible for the welfare of pigs under both intensive, deep litter and outdoor systems. Good welfare of farmed pigs will ensure that pigs cope well in their environment and that factors such as growth, reproductive performance, disease levels, injuries and death rates are within industry standards. The Code recognizes that the basic requirement for the welfare of pigs is a husbandry system, managed by trained and skilled stock-people to ensure that basic needs of pigs are met: * Readily accessible appropriate and sufficient food and water * Adequate shelter to protect from climatic extremes * Opportunity to display appropriate patterns of behaviour * Physical handling in a manner which minimizes the likelihood of unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress * Protection from, and/or rapid diagnosis and correct treatment of injury or disease * Freedom for necessary movement including to stand, stretch and lie down * Visual and social contact with other pigs This Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals has been prepared by the Animal Welfare Working Group (AWWG) for the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC). The AWWG is made up of representatives from CSIRO, Animal Health Australia, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia, and from each of the State Departments responsible for agriculture. Extensive consultation has taken place with industry and animal welfare organisations in the development of the Code. This new edition supercedes the Second Edition, SCARM Report 66

Includes the Proceedings of the Society for the Study of Fertility.

An essential resource for both students and practitioners, this comprehensive text provides practical, up-to-date information about normal reproduction and reproductive disorders in horses, cattle, small ruminants, swine, llamas, and other livestock. Featuring contributions from experts in the field, each section is devoted to a different large animal species and begins with a review of the clinically relevant aspects of the reproductive anatomy and physiology of both males and females. Key topics include the evaluation of breeding soundness, pregnancy diagnosis, diagnosis and treatment of infertility, abortion, obstetrics, surgery of the reproductive tract, care of neonates, and the latest reproductive technology. - Includes coverage of all large animal species. - All sections provide a review of clinically pertinent reproductive physiology and anatomy of males and females of each species. - Complete coverage of the most current reproductive technology, including embryo transfer, estrous synchronization, and artificial insemination. - A new section on alternative farming that addresses reproduction in bison, elk, and deer. - New to the equine section: stallion management, infertility, and breeding soundness evaluation. - New to the bovine section: estrous cycle synchronization, reproductive biotechnology, ultrasonographic determination of fetal gender, heifer development, and diagnosis of abortion. - New to the porcine section: artificial insemination, boar/stud management, diseases of postpartum period, and infectious disease control. - New to the llama section: infectious disease and nutrition.