Sex ratio of offspring in swine were studied with data obtained from the Tokyo Metropolitan Livestock Experiment Station (Tk), the Saitama-ken Experiment Station of Animal Industry (St), and the Miyazaki Agricultural Experiment Station (Mz). The results were compared with those reported in the previous paper (1 and 2). The animals used in the present study numbered 5, 150 at Tk, 1, 634 at St, and 2, 916 at Mz. They consisted of swine of the Large White (W), Yorkshire (Y), Landrace (L), and Berkshire (B) breed and their hybrids (Hyb). No B pigs were present and a small number of animals of unknown breed(probably Y breed, judging from their names) were contained in the records from Tk. Almost all the records were those of natural mating at Tk. All the records were those of artificial insemination at St and Mz. Analysis on sex ratio was performed by the same methods as described in a previous paper ('69)4). The classes which showed a shift of sex ratio to either sex were cited mainly in tables. The results obtained are summarized as follows.
1) Total (Table 1): When determined in all the groups of the breed as a whole, the sex ratio was high at Tk, but showed no shift at St or Mz. There were no significant differences in sex ratio among the seven experiment stations (Ta, '69; NI, Ks, and To, '71; Tk, St, and Mz). When examined in each group of breed, the sex ratio was high only in Y (at Tk) and Hyb (at Tk and Mz). There were, however, significant differences between Mz and Ta, as a group, and To in L, between St and Ta in H, and between Tk and St in Hyb.
2) Individual boar or sow (Table 2): In some cases, the sex ratio of offspring originated from an individual boar or sow showed a shift to either sex. These individuals, however, were fewer than those at Ta in the same manner as mentioned in a previous report ('71)5), with regard both to all the groups as a whole, and to each group of breed.
3) Litter series and litter size (Table 3): The sex ratio was significantly high in some classes and in one group of classes of litter series in all the groups of breed at Tk. No such shift of sex ratio, however, was observed at St or Mz. A shift of sex ratio was seen in each group of breed at Tk and Mz.
The sex ratio in some classes and that in one group of classes of litter size were significantly high with regard to all the groups of breed at three stations in the present study. A shift of sex ratio to either sex was seen in each group of breed, as well as in each class of litter series.
4) Season (Table 4): The primary and secondary sex ratio varied from one station to another in all the groups of breed as a whole. These results are the same as mentioned in a previous report ('71)5). There were no significant differences among the seasons at any station examined in the present study. When those sex ratios were studied in each group of breed, there were significant differences in them among the seasons in some breeds at Tk and Mz.
5) Age of boar or sow (Table 5): It was only at Tk that the sex ratio in all the groups of breed as a whole showed a shift to male in some age groups. In each group of breed, however, there were some age groups showing a shift of sex ratio to either sex, both in boar and sow, at all the stations, except the sows at Mz.
6) Age difference between boar and sow (Table 6): There were some age differences in a shift of sex ratio to the same sex as that of the older parent both in all the groups of breed as a whole and in each group of breed at Tk. Such facts as these, however, were not observed at either of the remaining two stations in the present study.
7) Annual sex ratio (Table 7): A shift of sex ratio was seen both in all the groups of breed as a whole and in each group of breed at Tk in some calendar years. It was observed only in each group of breed at Mz in some of these years. A shift of sex ratio to female was noticed in W at Mz in only one year.
View full abstract