Female Facts
Females exhibit estrus(heat) about every 21 days
Age of puberty(first estrus) of gilts is about 6 to 7 months of age
Lactation (nursing) inhibits the estrous cycle, sows should return to estrus about 4 to 7 days after weaning
Estrus lasts for about 40 to 60 hours, but ranges from< 24h to ᢘh)
Ovulation or release of ova occurs about 40 hours after the beginning of estrus
Approximately 10 to 25 ova are shed at each estrus
Zygotes enter the uterine horns about 2-3 days after fertilization
Most of the ova are released within a 2 hour period
Fertilization or union of sperm and ova occurs in the upper 1/3 of the oviduct
Gestation(pregnancy) length is about 114 days or 3months, 3weeks and 3 days
About 20% of fertilized ova degenerate and are lost during the 1st 25 days of pregnancy