Draminski ?

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Delangworthy
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Draminski ?

Post by Delangworthy » Fri Oct 28, 2016 2:50 pm

I just purchased a draminski and immediately tried it out on sows that are not in heat.
Sow#1 350
Sow#2 520 did it twice same number
Sow#3 520

Are the sows with 500+ good readings? Any do's dont's that have been learned with this tool other than listed in the directions?

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Rway
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Re: Draminski ?

Post by Rway » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:03 pm

500 is completely out of cycle. Make sure you place the probe as deep as you can, usually next to the cervix. Turn it twice and get two measurements. These numbers will generally drop between 200 - 150 just prior to ovulation. If I have a gilt or sow under 200 I give her a dose, knowing that the semen will be alive as she ovulates. I chart each sow and gilt during breeding season, because hogs can vary with numbers. One hog can drop all the way to 150 where another hits a low of 200. The trick is to catch them at the low just before the numbers jump quickly. The numbers will shoot from lets say 150 -450 over a 24 hour period with some hogs, and this is when she is ovulating, thus prime time to get a dose in them. Here is an example Wednesday 300 (day 17), Thursday 280 (day 18), Friday 220 (day 19) Saturday 200 (day 20) Sunday 180 (day 21) Monday 380 (day 22) Generally when I know that it is close to breeding time I measure twice a day. Obviously there are generally other signs also. But if you have a hard breeder, this device is wonderful. I recently had a gilt swell up 5 days out, and I assumed she would be in a day or two later, but thanks to the device I didn't inseminate her early. She actually continued to swell even more and by the fifth day she had seepage and was about the size of a softball. I am so glad I waited, because I hit her just perfect.

This device also saved me recently on three gilts that cycled one time after PG600 and then didn't the next two cycles. I kept getting 320 to 340 over two weeks with these gilts, and thus it showed me there was not drop and were not cycling. I hit them again with PG600 and bred them later that week on a PG600 cycle. If the numbers are not changing then the hog is not cycling or pregnant. But since I never put a dose in them, I knew they were not cycling.

You can also get a good idea if the hog is pregnant by measuring the hog on what you believe is day 19 or 20, because obviously the numbers should be dropping if they are coming into heat again.

I recommend you clean it between each hog that you use it on. We use Chlorine wipes, although I should use hydrogen peroxide wipes. Also hold onto the hogs tail, so she doesn't back up and break it off. Happened to me. I would also recommend charting your hogs. I wrote an excel workbook to chart hogs, it has a few bugs but it helps.

A lot of people buy these but do not chart hogs, it takes more than one measurement to tell you where you are on a cycle. I generally recommend every two days when charting, that way you can tell if you are on the up swing or down swing towards ovulation. From the numbers you gave here. I would state that your two 500 hogs just cycled recently - last week. Your 300 hog is a question, she is either going to be in - in about a 7 to 10 days or she is not cycling at all. Measure her again in two days and see if her numbers are dropping if they are the same, then PG600 her.

One other note, that I have seen, when I use this device after a PG600 I get a down spike generally about two days before a real cycle with some gilts. Thus it looks like a heat cycle but it isn't I would assume it is relationship to the hormones being in the body.

I am glad to help you if you need additional info feel free to call or text me at 937-925-1187. Also I do not sell this product, I just rely on it.

Ed

Delangworthy
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Re: Draminski ?

Post by Delangworthy » Sun Oct 30, 2016 5:27 am

Awesome job Rway

Both of the 520's cycled a few days before. I bred one sow waiting on the other. The sow bred was off of pg600. She doesn't really show a cycle. Hope I got her.

The 350 just cycled also off of pg600. Swelled like a baseball 4 days bred her went the swelling went down (no discharge I noticed) that's why I bought this tool. I have a few sows so every bred sow at the correct time is critical.

I made a spread sheet and will monitor like you suggested. Thanks again for the response much appreciated.

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Re: Draminski ?

Post by Delangworthy » Sat Nov 05, 2016 4:14 pm

what are typical draminski numbers the next 21 days fallowing AI?

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Rway
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Re: Draminski ?

Post by Rway » Sat Nov 05, 2016 7:40 pm

Bred usually somewhere between 300 and up. I can not say that I have seen a preg gilt or sow in the 200s. A non-cycling gilt would be also in 300s, so thus why it is hard to tell at that point. Keep in mind every sow or gilt can have different numbers, I wouldn't panic if you get a 290. If you are down around 210/220 I would expect a heat cycle soon.

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Re: Draminski ?

Post by Delangworthy » Tue Nov 15, 2016 8:08 pm

Hello Rway

I have been monitoring my sows using a draminski as you suggested. One of my sows have gradually drifted down from the 520 over the last three weeks to a 200 today at noon. I checked her this evening and she was at 290 so I gave her a dose. This is around day 20-21 since last heat. The last few days she has been riding 220. I suspect 200 is her low side. Am I correct To breed on the spike? Her signs have always been subtle. Normally just mucas that's when I have bred in the past.

Also the other sow I AI'd has been riding between 310-390 last three weeks with no signs of heat either. I suspect she is bred? Time will tell.

Finally the sow that I AI'd that showed a 350 has been between 280-320 the last three weeks. I am not sure if she is bred or need to give pg600. I see you are having the same issue.

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Rway
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Re: Draminski ?

Post by Rway » Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:43 pm

Delangworthy,
Sounds like you bred this sow near perfect. 200 would be the low end with this animal in my opinion also. You were correct to get her on the spike. If she was 290 I would guess she had started ovulating within just a few hours before you dosed her. Usually the spike will go from the low (in your case 200) up to around 500. So a breed at 290 is pretty ideal. 310-390 I would tend to believe is bred, although for the record that could also be a non-cycling sow - which would read the same as bred. Thus the only fault with this device. A non cycling sow will generally not move much with the numbers. You have seen I have been asking questions about using PG600 on a preg gilt or sow. I want to be able to tell exactly who is not preg, and if it would bring a non-cycling sow or gilt back into heat, I would ship her. If PG600 would have no effect then I would know she is preg. I have a gilt that didn't give me a solid sound on the preg-tone, and just is not bellying down. My assumption is not preg, but she is not cycling either.

Once you have all your sows charted, you can save a little money and breed with one dose if you know the spikes on these animals. Thus you will then see the savings this device can offer, especially if you don't breed with cheap semen.

I am on my second one, because I had a crazy gilt back up and break one off on the wall of her pen. I have since learned to hold the hogs tail when using it to keep them from moving in a direction where they will snap one off.
Ed

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