I have some questions on the best timing to AI a sow. I have heard many different things on when the best or appropriate timing is to breed sows and wanted to possibly get some definitive answers. Is the best time when her vulva is swollen and red, is it when the swelling has gone down and she is no longer red, is it when she has sticky mucus that you can make a string with between your fingers, or is it simply when she is standing and locked up irregardless of the other symptoms mentioned previously? Just looking for some more definitive answers

Physical signs can differ.

Run your teaser boar where he can have nose contact twice a day.

Mark when she stands the first time, breed a Gilt 12 hours later then again 12 hours later and then the third dose 12 hours after.

Sow it’s 24 hours than another 24=hours.

ok thanks for the feedback

Having a teaser boar is certainly the easiest and most convenient. It's made things SOOO much easier for us since we got one. However, it's not always foolproof either...(we're dealing with this right now... ) Sometimes, even with a boar around, something else in their environment will affect them in a way that will limit, or change, their normal heat signs. While the majority of females are similar in what they show for signs of heat, unfortunately, every sow/gilt can be individually different and can show heat signs differently than others. Usually, the one you really want to get bred, and are really looking forward to the potential upcoming litter, will end up being the most difficult. This is primarily because they are animals, and they probably believe that it's their job to add as much stress to our lives as possible.
Having said all that, we had to do without a boar for a good while. What we've found to be the most reliable "timing" signs (if they're present), when a boar is not available, are when the swelling in the vulva has started to subside slightly, and there is a bit of mucous noticeable. Sometimes it might be hard to spot, and you might have to actually pull the vulva lips apart slightly to see it. In our experience, when that mucous is slightly sticky (it will make a string between your forefinger and thumb when pulled apart between them), that is the best time to get the semen flowing for best possible results. How many doses you do after that will obviously depend on how long she continues to show signs, and how much semen you have available. If she won't stand, you may have to throw some food down for her, and do a "feed and breed", but your timing should be good. We've had to do this a few times, and using these signs as the timing indicator, have had good success with it.