Histology confirms that macroscopic evaluation of ovaries is a valid method for the assessment of the reproductive status in wild boar

Results showed that age and weight of wild boars were highly correlated (cor = 0.845, p < 0.001). Wild boar of higher age and weight showed higher ovary weight, but this was not significant (p = 0.135 (age), p = 0.329 (weight)). Although the number of macroscopically seen follicles differed widely by animal, microscopically only one ovary showed only small tertiary follicles. Animals with bigger follicles showed a significantly (p = 0.006) smaller number of small and smallest tertiary follicles. The number of tertiary follicles (F0) was not significantly influenced by age or carcass weight (p = 0.460, 0.159). Older and heavier animals showed significantly less FX and FXS (p < 0.001). Comparison of the follicular composition of young wild boar ovaries with domestic pig research allows the conclusion that assessment of cyclic activity and near puberty is possible. However, due to the fact that puberty is a long term biological progress, defining the time of sexual maturity will always be an estimate. Nevertheless, microscopic examination confirmed the macroscopic findings, including follicular dimensions and developmental stage allowing the conclusion that macroscopic evaluation of ovarian functional bodies in wild boar is an easy and reliable way to assess reproductive performance.