The Cost of Keeping Natural Service Boars

Artificial insemination technology has been rapidly adapted. Partly because this technology was so rapidly adapted, many producers have taken for granted that they need to keep natural service boars on-hand, and even purchase replacements as an insurance policy should semen delivery be late due to a snow storm or other unforeseen circumstance. But what is the real cost of keeping these natural service boars, and is the cost of keeping these boars really worth it?

For example, the purchase price of a typical boar is $400, plus the time and costs for isolation and acclimation into the herd. A 60 day period is the minimum time required, at a cost of $1 per day. The direct cost of feed, housing, and other costs is about $400 per year. Studies have shown that on average a boar will yield 175 services per year. So what is the total cost per service of a boar?

LOST OPPORTUNITY

There are also lost opportunity costs to consider. Each boar retained could be replaced with a sow. At 22 pigs per sow per year and $34 per weaned pig, subtracting $400 for sow feed, housing, and other costs, each boar costs $348 in lost revenue.

GENETIC LAG

Each natural service boar will produce over 500 pigs per year. (175 services / 2.5 services per female x 80% farrowing rate x 9 pigs weaned per litter = 504 pigs.) The difference in genetic performance between A.I. boars and natural service boars is $1.67/pig, so these 500 pigs cost an additional $835 per year. The equivalent number doses of semen can be purchased for $675 (175 doses x $3.86 per dose) plus delivery and A.I. supplies. This example assumes that the purchased boar is replaced an average of every two years, where A.I. stud boars are actually replaced every year. We will assume that fertility is equal. Actually, AI may be better and will only continue to improve over time.

DISEASE RISK

There is still at least one other consideration. What is the cost of bringing in a disease by purchasing replacement animals? Even boars purchased from the same herd carry a risk, as does transportation. Diseases such as Swine Influenza (SIV) or TGE can easily be contracted by these replacement animals by simply passing by infected animals in a finishing barn, livestock truck, or packing plant during transportation.

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

Most new farms today start-up with no intact boars, using only a few V-boars coming from the same source as the gilts. The most common ratio for v-boars is 1 boar per 150 females. If you still feel that you need natural service boars on hand, there is another option. Most producers on the Babcock Closed Herd™ program raise a few boars along with their replacement gilts to later be used as V-boars. If these boars have no direct contact with females so that matings can't occur, they can be left intact for use as natural service boars should your semen shipment be delayed. The drawbacks to this option are first that there probably wouldn’t be enough boars to actually meet your needs, and second, none of the pigs from these litters could ever be as potential replacement animals. When you consider that you can purchase extra semen doses at a fraction of the cost of retaining natural service boars, and teaser boars can be raised along with your replacement gilts, we think you'll agree that 100% A.I. is the method of choice. That natural service boar you are keeping may be costing over $1500 per year!