DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS 



STERILITY— BARRENNESS 



Through some fault of the male or female, some- 

 times both, conception does not follow as a result of 

 copulation, and the female fails to breed. This con- 

 dition may be due to a variety of causes, and is either 

 temporary or permanent. Sterility is less common 

 in hogs than in most farm animals. 



Causes. — The most common cause of impotency or 

 sterility in the male is lack of, or too much functional 

 exercise, too close confinement, old age, and the feed- 

 ing of an unsuitable ration or one that tends to fat- 

 ten the animal. Fatty degeneration of the testicles 

 may occur under such a condition, or at least they 

 become so infiltrated with fat as to interfere with 

 their function. Overly fat boars may become so ' 

 clumsy and lazy that they cannot, or will not serve 

 the sow. It is not uncommon for impotency to be 

 due to an injured penis and an improper development 

 of the sexual organs. Sometimes during copulation 

 the penis is broken, bitten off and injured in other 

 ways. 



Sterility in the sow may result from a greater va- 

 riety of conditions than in the boar. Excessive fat- 

 tening) as is sometimes seen in' sows fitted for exhi- 

 bition purposes, is a frequent cause in this class of 



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