The study was conducted with the objective of evaluate different types and volumes of diluents through the reproductive performance of 72 artificially inseminated sows. A randomized complete design was used in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, with three diluents and two semen volumes. The semen used was obtained from three boars of known fertility. The ejaculates were diluted in equal parts, with the commercial diluents A, B and C, constituting semen doses of 1.5 billion spermatozoids in volumes of 15 or 30 mL. The analyzed variables were farrowing rate, indexes of return to estrus, total number of piglets born, number of piglets born alive, mummified and stillborn piglets, and litter weight at birth. Differences were not observed between the farrowing rates and indexes of return to estrus. The greatest means of total number of piglets born, piglets born alive and litter weight at birth were from females inseminated with semen doses containing diluents B and C. There were no differences among the inseminating volumes within the diluents B and C for any of the variables. For diluent A, the volume that provided the largest litter size and number of piglets born alive was 15 mL. The number of stillborn and mummified piglets did not differ between the treatments. The intrauterine insemination of sows from two to five parities, with inseminating doses of 15 mL diluted in short term diluents (diluents B or C) give satisfactory indexes of reproductive performance.
diluents; inseminating volumes; reproduction; sows
