'BOAR IN A BOTTLE'™ SPRAY
For improved reproduction management
A revolutionary, cost-effective method for pig production — harnessing the science of androstenone to optimise artificial insemination and reproductive outcomes.
Servistim® is a locally manufactured pheromone product for pig reproduction, produced by Cauldron Chemicals in Cape Town, South Africa. Its active ingredient is androstenone — a synthetically produced boar odour pheromone that triggers the natural mating stance reflex in receptive sows.
Eliminating or reducing the role of the live boar through artificial insemination is fast becoming the solution for forward-thinking pig farmers. Servistim replaces the boar's pheromone signal precisely and reliably — at a fraction of the cost.
Successful artificial insemination with Servistim yields larger litters of improved genetic quality, while reducing disease transmission, female stress, and 'summer infertility syndrome'.
"Female pigs are all sensitive to androstenone. If they are in heat and they smell androstenone, they will immediately assume a mating stance."— J. Schwarz, The Right Chemistry
Two sprays applied to the sow's snout replace boar presence entirely. The sow reacts identically to the back pressure test and flankfold reflex — precisely indicating her estrus stage.
Correctly assessing the stage of estrus is essential for successful AI. Servistim enables precise staging — first insemination at 12 h post-peak, second at 24 h, maximising conception rates.
After weaning, apply 2 sprays morning and afternoon from day 3 onwards. Repeat daily until estrus stages are reached — a maximum of 3 days application is needed to stimulate the cycle.
Encourage gilts to first heat up to 20 days earlier. Treating a group synchronises their cycles — 4 days of application aligns the whole group, streamlining future breeding programmes.
At 18–21 days post-insemination, apply Servistim as a return-to-heat check. A sow that does not display estrus behaviour has almost certainly conceived — a reliable, low-cost pregnancy indicator.
Servistim is recommended for use during the periods from 0–50 hours of the oestrus cycle.
Sow is vocal, restless, elevates ears. Moves away on back pressure — coming into heat, not yet ready.
Quieter, stands still on back pressure. Mark as Time 0. Optimal for natural mating — apply AI after 12 h.
First AI without Servistim. Second AI at +24 h. Gilts: both at +12 h intervals from Time 0.
Androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one) is a steroidal pheromone produced naturally in the submaxillary salivary glands of the boar. When wafted into the air, it triggers a hard-wired physiological response in the oestrous sow: the immobilisation reflex, or lordosis.
Certain neurons in the olfactory bulbs of sows produce strong excitatory responses to androstenone. Servistim harnesses this by delivering a precise, consistent dose — with none of the disease risk, welfare costs, or variability of a live boar.
Servistim acts as both a priming pheromone (conditioning the reproductive system) and a signalling pheromone (triggering immediate sexual behaviour) — making it uniquely versatile in the reproduction management toolkit.
We recommend keeping one boar on farm as backup — and conducting all reproduction via AI with Servistim.
Semen from multiple top-performing, disease-free boars — rapidly improving herd quality with every litter.
Double insemination from a single semen sachet containing multiple boars' semen — maximising litter size.
Materials for AI — semen, catheters and Servistim — cost less than half of boar purchase and maintenance over a year.
Reduced disease transmission. No boar-to-sow contact means cleaner hygiene practices and a healthier herd.
Female stress and summer infertility syndrome are reduced or eliminated without a live boar on the floor.
Removes physical constraints of boar management — scale your herd without scaling infrastructure costs.