AN EVALUATION OF 3 METHODS FOR ASSESSING SEXUAL-BEHAVIOR IN BOARS

This study used three separate methods to evaluate sexual behavior in boars previously classified as having high (H), intermediate (INT), or low (L) levels of sexual behavior. Boars were initially evaluated for sexual behavior at 9.6 to 10.6 mo of age with a tethered female for 5 min. Boars were subsequently evaluated with a tethered female for 10 min (TF), a group of females for 10 min (FG), or continuously in a coh abitation environment for 113 h (C). When boars were evaluated with th e TF procedure they mounted the female in less time (P < .01) and copu lated sooner (P < .01) than when evaluated with the-PC procedure. Rega rdless of whether the TF or FG procedure was used, L boars cumulated l ess time (P < .01) nosing the sides of females and took longer (P < .0 1) to first mount than H or INT boars. Proportion of successful mating s was not different between the TF and FG procedure; however, the prop ortion of successful matings by H (91.7%), INT (79.2%), and L (45.8%) boars did differ (P < .001). With the C procedure, sexual behavior cla ssification affected (P < .01) average number of successful matings (H , 4.7; INT, 2.3; and L, .33). This study indicates that sexual behavio r traits expressed by a boar are similar when evaluated with a tethere d female, a group of females, or a cohabitation environment.