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Swine genetics and reproduction
The performance of pigs is the result of two influences: genetics and environment. Because the genetics of a pig plays an important role in its performance and meat quality, all pig producers should be familiar with the potential and application of genetic selection.
The genetic potential of pigs can have a major influence on the productivity and profitability of a pig enterprise. It is the combination of genetics, nutrition, health, environment and management that influences such factors as litter size, growth rates and carcass quality.
The reproductive herd is for the multiplication of maternal and paternal lines that are prized for economically valuable reproductive traits, or, traits that generate desirable offspring reliably. Typically, prized reproductive traits include litter size, particularly total number of pigs born, and pigs weaned, weight of the litter of piglets at birth and weaning, wean-to-estrus interval (WEI), and pigs per sow per year (PSY). In more recent years, length of time a sow remains productive in the herd (longevity or survivability) is increasing in priority for major genetic lines. These traits are prioritized due to the impact on value of the sow to the herd.
A lot of strides have been made in the improvement of pigs in the past few decades. The advent of the use of BLUP in the early 90's in particular gave a boost to the slow progress seen in those traits with low heritability, particularly reproductive traits. BLUP gave breeders increased accuracy in the estimation of genetic values, and therefore higher reliability of selection decisions. Hence, as will be observed in many breeding programs litter size, a trait that was previously very slow to...
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Simultaneous advances have been made in the number of pigs a sow can produce each year, predominantly due to management, and in lean (growth rate and percentage), predominantly due to genetics. Today’s gilts grow faster, reach puberty at heavier weights, and are mated both younger and leaner. Therefore, we are ultimately managing a more prolific mature sow that may be both leaner and larger in mature body size. For gilts to be successful in the breeding herd, young breeding females must be...
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Due to the disruption caused by foot-and-mouth and very poor cull sow prices, lots of pig farmers have held onto older sows for too long. As a result the parity structure in many breeding herds is now seriously out of balance. “Ideally, most sows should be replaced after their sixth litter, but we are seeing dams which are into their eighth or even ninth parities,” said Malcolm Stead, production director of ACMC. “Keeping sows for this length of time results in...
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Non-productive days (NPDs) accumulate for females that are not pregnant or lactating and include the period between entry of a gilt into the "gilt pool" and her first service, and the interval between weaning and mating in sows. To enhance reproductive efficiency in the breeding herd, NPDs must be minimized. P.G. 600, a non-prescription drug marketed by Intervet America Inc. (Millsboro, DE), is used to stimulate the onset of heat and ovulation in prepubertal gilts and weaned sows and...
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The optimum ambient temperature for swine in the breeding herd is approximately 65° F (range of approximately 55 to 75° F). Thus, the elevated environmental temperature and humidity associated with summers in Virginia can severely affect swine reproduction. Breeding operations often experience a "summer slump" during which reproductive efficiency is compromised. The adverse effects of "heat stress" are manifested in both the male and female. In this Livestock Update, I'll focus on the...
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Consider for a moment the life of replacement gilts from birth to the point at which they farrow their first litters of pigs. At any point within that spectrum of time, modern swine production has benefited from many years of research attempting to define the optimum environment (number of pen-mates, size of pens, temperature, etc.) in which gilts are raised so as to ultimately maximize their reproductive efficiency. For example, litter size in which gilts are raised impacts the size of the...
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A new boar bred by UK's pig genetics company JSR Genetics, is consistently achieving a record breaking reduction in feed conversion rates (FCR) - 13.4 per cent less than the UK average - and the lowest achieved by any pig, anywhere in the world. Dubbed 'the world's most efficient pig' the new JSR Geneconverter 700 will be launched at next month's Industry shop-window the British Pig & Poultry Fair. It brings to fruition years of research and development by the company's geneticists....
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Cross breeding is a better alternative to in-breeding even for backyard pig farms, a British expert said during the recently concluded hog convention. Dr. Rex Walters of the British Pig Association said that while in-breeding—allowing swine and sow from the same breed to mate and reproduce—is commonly practiced by pig farms, it increases the possibilities of animal defects and lesser litter yield per year. Cross breeding, however, improves survival rate of piglets and increases...
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11th of March 2008 was a significant day for modern pig breeding. Together with partners and friends from Europe and America, Norsvin celebrated the opening of Norsvin Delta. Norsvin Delta, located close to the Olympic city of Lillehammer, Norway, is the name of Norsvin’s new boar test station. 3,500 boars will be tested annually at Norsvin Delta, all of which will end the test with more than 1,200 internal pictures each, providing Norsvin with detailed knowledge of each selection candidates...
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Dutch pig farmers with TOPIGS sows achieved an average production of 26.36 weaned piglets per year in 2007. Compared with 2006, this is an increase of 0.65 piglets. This picture emerged from the technical results of 942 farms with a total of more than 368,000 sows. The top 25% of farms realised an average of 28.52 piglets per sow in 2007. A result of 30 or more piglets per sow per year was achieved at 22 farms. In 2006 only 9 farms achieved a result of 30 piglets or...
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Sociable pigs can now be bred thanks to a method developed jointly by the Institute for Pig Genetics (IPG) and the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre of Wageningen University. Researchers have developed a mathematical model that allows the social behaviour between pigs in a pen to be included in selection decisions. Up until now, pigs were bred solely on the basis of individual performance. The results show that social interactions between pigs are inherited and can make a significant...
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Individual housing of pregnant females is a common practice in the swine industry. Barnett et al. (2001) estimated that at least 60 to 70% of U.S. sows are housed in stalls throughout gestation. The use of gestation stalls is currently one of the most contentious welfare issues facing pork producers. Typical gestation stalls are approximately 2' wide and 7' long and physically limit sows to standing, sitting, and lying. This severe restriction of freedom of movement has been robustly...
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The effective operation of a commercial stud requires that young boars be easily trained to mount an artificial sow and allow semen collection. Once trained, it is essential that boars consistently mount in an expeditious manner. Indeed, the efficiency of a stud is compromised when boars display a reluctance or refusal to mount an artificial sow. On many swine operations, commercially-available prostaglandin products are used in attempts to expedite mounting behavior, as well as restore...
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High conception rates are vital to productivity on any sow farm, be it a farrow-to-wean, farrow-to-feeder pig, or farrow-to-finish unit. Indeed swine farm enterprise record services show that higher profit farms are those that consistently have good to excellent breeding performance. Management areas that have impact on breeding performance may be broadly classified to include factors related to timing (including frequency) of matings and quality of matings. For properly timed sow...
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For more than 20 years, intensive genetic selection has led to an increase in both litter size and birth weight in swine. However, prenatal death and fetal growth restriction remain important factors that limit maximum reproductive performance in swine. New research, funded by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), shows this problem may be alleviated by dietary adjustments that can enhance placental growth, thereby promoting an optimal intrauterine...
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Hypor, the pig breeding division of Hendrix Genetics BV has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire France Hybrides from Groupe Glon. The deal should be completed first half of 2008, although remains subject to various customary conditions, including due diligence, necessary consents and approvals. The acquisition of France Hybrides mirrors Hypor’s strategy to have leading positions in significant global pork production markets. The combination of genetic resources with...
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An Embro, Ontario based swine producer reports genetic selection will play a key role in the level of aggression displayed by sows housed in group based production systems. In 1996, to adopt more welfare friendly housing which would allow sows to exhibit normal instincts such as rooting and socializing, Heronbrook Farm shifted from conventional sow housing to a group based system. Chris Cockle says the role of genetics on aggression and health and welfare under the group system...
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What is the proper management for anaestrus in gilts? They seem to be well-feeded and healthy… so, what’s the problem? I hear any comment... ...
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Genetic markers significantly associated with growth, leanness and meat quality are now available to all U.S. pork producers. The Iowa State University Research Foundation has recently signed a licensing agreement with GeneSeek Inc. of Lincoln, Neb., that licenses the use of DNA markers in four genes. All of these markers have been previously tested and have been commercially validated by a large pig breeding company. The first gene marker is MC4R and it controls growth and...
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Individual sow nutrition is one of the aspects of maximizing sow herd performance in terms of pigs produced per litter, and in the quality of the pigs produced. The requirements of gilts in getting them developed to mating and on to delivery of their first litter is a whole and complete topic in itself and will be discussed later. In a rather extensive paper by Dana R. Cooper and John F. Patience at the Prairie Swine Centre titled “Sow Body Weight - Changes in Gestation”, it was...
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