Explore all the information on
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.
Introduction: In 1998 the Dutch government issued that from 2013 sows must be housed in social groups within 5 days after insemination, in addition to EC directive 2008/120. In 2014, the government issued a project to aid farmers, which had reported, on request, negative effects of group housing in the first 4 weeks on welfare and reproduction (n=347), to overcome these effects. Focus of the project was on the interventions to chronic physical stress, as this is an important...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Improvest® (Zoetis, also known as Improvac) is an anti-GnRF vaccine for the immunological castration of male pigs for the control of boar taint. However, there is limited information on the impact of timing of 2nd Improvest dose relative to the time of harvest on growth and carcass parameters. The objective of this study was to compare different times of the 2nd on the performance of immunological-castrates (IC) relative to physical-castrates (PC) and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Optimal tryptophan: lysine Ratio for 25-40 Kg Growing Pigs Fed Diets Containing 35 % Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles
Suggested link
Introduction: Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ( A. pleuropneumoniae ) is among the most important pathogens in pork production. The pathogen can cause severe economic losses due to acute or chronic pleuropneumonia accompanied by decreased performance and increased mortality. Both, therapeutic treatment and vaccination have no sustainable effect on the control or spreading of infection and in addition, vaccines are not always available. Thus, our research targets...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Altrenogest is used worldwide to synchronise sexual cycle of replacement gilts before their introduction in the reproductive herd. Objective of this study was to test efficacy of a 0.4% altrenogest oral solution (Virbagest®, Virbac) for gilts synchronization in a large Korean farm. Materials and Methods: Selected herd comprises 2,500 sows managed according to 1-week batch farrowing. Twenty to 30 replacement gilts are introduced weekly in each...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Farrowing is a critical period for the sow in which painful, inflammatory and infectious processes along with other systemic events cause postpartum stress and may trigger Postpartum Dysgalactia Syndrome (PPDS) which manifests itself either in clinical or subclinical presentation, both with negative impact on the sow and its litter regarding the development of suckling pigs. The objective of this study was to determine under field conditions the effect of...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Model organisms provide a wealth of biological data that make them attractive to study as examples for other species, especially human, which are more difficult to study directly. For example, zebrafish is used as a classical developmental and embryological model for the unique combination of the optical clarity of the embryos and manipulability of embryology. C. elegans is chose to study the nervous system. It has the larger ascendance of showing the exact course of development at the level...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Hoof lesions, which are very common in modern sows, were associated with high risk of early culling and compromised welfare of sows. Some hoof lesions were also associated with decreased litter weight, increased pre-weaning piglet mortality and higher odds of stillborn and crushed piglets. Evidently, if hoof lesions negatively affect not only sow longevity but also the important reproductive parameters which determine the utilisation of breeding herd’s...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Reducing non-productive days has always been an important part of improving gilt and sow productivity. The ability to assess your staff in their effectiveness to accurately identify heats in gilts and validate any replacement gilt hormonal protocols would be invaluable. The use of transcutaneous ultrasound on ovaries and uteri in gilts allows us to observe the puberty status of individual gilts and tailor specific and accurate interventions. It is not...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: An effective insemination management is the basis for a successful piglet production. Hormonal stimulation and synchronization is common practice in farms, mostly using equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). A FTI protocol is now available using Buserelin (Porceptal®, MSD Animal Health), a synthetic GnRH-analog compound. The main feature of this protocol is the requirement for only one insemination per sow. This study was conducted to compare the FTI with...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: Congenital tremors is a disease of neonatal pigs characterized by action-related repetitive myoclonus. Despite early documentation (nearly 100 years ago) and worldwide distribution of the disease, the etiology of a majority of contemporary outbreaks remains a mystery but has been speculated to be an unidentified virus. This investigation describes the identification of a divergent lineage pestivirus in samples from piglets with congenital tremors and not unaffected...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Optimal tryptophan: lysine Ratio for 25-40 Kg Growing Pigs Fed Diets Containing 35 % Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles
Suggested link
Introduction: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a well-known cause of reproductive failure worldwide. It is known that PRRSV can induce apoptosis under in-vitro conditions, and is significantly associated with cell the occurrence of cell death in multiple infected tissues invivo. The mechanism of cell death occurring at the maternal-fetal interface during PRRSV infection, and the relationship of cell death to the cytopathic effect of the PRRSV and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: PRRS virus was identified in 1990' earlier and classified two groups in type 1 and type 2 genetically. PRRS virus has been discovered all over the world. PRRS modified live virus vaccines are introduced in many country to control PRRS. But these PRRS live virus vaccines didn’t defend against heterologous PRRS virus perfectly. This field case shows reproductive performance after type 1 modified live virus vaccination when it is infected with type 1...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Introduction: The effects of the oral supplementation of probiotics on the performance (weight gain and feed intake) and intestinal histo-morphology of the duodenal, jejunal, and ileal mucosa (villus height, width, and perimeter and crypt depth) of two different genetic lines (purebred Large White or crossbred Large White x Landrace) of suckling piglets. Materials and Methods: The suckling piglets were evaluated between 2 and 19 days of age. In total, 276...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Canada is one of the largest pork and beef exporters in the world. The volume and value of Canadian meat exports have increased to ~$9 billion/year, and the export markets have expanded significantly from the traditional buyers. However, the meat export landscape has evolved during the last years, becoming more competitive, with major players trying to access the same import markets. Quality assurance and meat differentiation based on quality attributes contribute to meeting domestic and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Kimberly VanderWaal (University of Minnesota) comments on the use of sequence data by veterinarians, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Kimberly VanderWaal (University of Minnesota) comments on RFLP types and differentiation of viruses, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Kimberly VanderWaal (University of Minnesota) talks about genome sequencing and classification of viruses, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
In the U.S., consolidation and vertical integration of the swine industry has been associated with dramatic changes in breeding herd management. For example, the proportion of sows bred via artificial insemination increased from approximately 8% in 1991 (Burke, 2000) to nearly 70% in 2000 (Lawrence and Grimes, 2001). In a typical large-scale swine operation, semen is collected once or twice a week from boars located at off-site "boar studs". Studs usually house 200 or more boars....
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
Optimal tryptophan: lysine Ratio for 25-40 Kg Growing Pigs Fed Diets Containing 35 % Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles
Suggested link
Don Giesting (Cargill) discusses the characteristics of zearalenone and deoxynivalenol (DON), as well as their impact on reproduction and feed intake, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0