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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.
John Morris Fairbrother (Université de Montréal) discussed the use of these methods in his research on Escherichia coli in pigs, during IPVS2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....
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Ana Castillo (Iowa State University) presented her research on circulating serotypes, during IPVS2022 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....
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Comparison of amino acid digestibility in feed ingredients for mini and commercial pigs
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Ken Stalder (Iowa State University) shared the percentage he considers necessary, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
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Ken Stalder (Iowa State University) discussed breeding and other topics during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
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Ken Stalder (Iowa State University) talked about the different values taken into account, during this Swine It interview with host Laura Greiner....
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Use experience to determine whether a pig is pregnant. Diagnosis based on estrous cycle and pregnancy symptoms. This method does not require any equipment and medicine, is simple and easy to use, and is widely used in pig production. Generally speaking, sows do not show estrus after a estrus period after mating, basically sows are pregnant, the external performance is: tired sleepiness does not want to move, temperament is gentle and steady movement, appetite increases fastness, fur is...
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Current market review and perspective of Florfenicol, Tilmicocin, vitamins and aminoacids
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There are several different genetic technologies that have been used to improve trait performance for pig farmers. Some examples would include: a) Terminal Cross Mating System: this is simply using a crossbred female composed of breeds that are best for reproduction as the maternal line animals. The most common examples are the use of a Landrace/Large White F1 female as the parent female. This allows the best breeds for reproduction to exert...
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1. Introduction With increasing public awareness regarding pig welfare, gestating sow housing systems are currently changing around the world to group-housing. While the legislation on sows’ group-housing was adopted in 2001 in Europe, the new Canadian regulation was enacted in 2014. The Canadian Code of Practice for the care and handling of pigs requires that all newly built facilities or those undergoing renovation must house sows in groups during gestation, or provide...
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Introduction The use of high quality boar semen is critical to obtaining desired herd fertility goals. When using artificial insemination (AI) in a breeding program, the semen supplier becomes an external input which can effectively drive a customer’s herd reproductive performance. Depending upon circumstance, this input can either aid in or interfere with achieving herd production goals. Abrupt increases in regular return rates leading to repeat services may serve as...
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Background Primiparous sows (PP) have higher nutrient requirements [1, 2] and fewer piglets born than multiparous sows (MP) [3]. Usually, PP sows are bred before they reach mature body size and when the back fat levels are still limited and often times below the recommendation of 18.0–23.0 mm at first insemination [4]. Part of the nutrient intake of a PP sow during the reproductive cycle is still used for their own tissue growth [5]. Piglet birth weight and growth...
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All together to support swine production: What solutions are available to substitute zinc oxide?
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Introduction Vulvar discharges are related to reproductive tract infections that can lead to decreased sow fertility and other impairments in zootechnical indices, which reduces profitability 1,2,3 . However, knowledge about metrite causative agents in sows is still very superficial. Staphylococcus hyicus – a Gram-positive, coagulase variable, facultative anaerobic, catalase-positive, non-hemolytic, non-motile bacteria - may be able to cause metritis in...
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Introduction Sow longevity is defined as the time elapsed from gilt entry into the breeding herd until removal as a result of culling or death. Increasing herd retention rate is important to maximize sow lifetime productivity. Higher removal rate implies an increase in the percentage of young females in the herd, a category with lower production potential, and a higher risk of early culling. Systematic gilt replacement is required for genetic gain. Still,...
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Comparison of amino acid digestibility in feed ingredients for mini and commercial pigs
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One of the most pressing problems that has attracted considerable publicity in the last few years is the prospect of widespread multidrug resistance leading to a breakdown in human healthcare systems throughout the world. The O’Neil report (O’Neil et al 2016), estimates “that by 2050, 10 million lives a year and a cumulative 100 trillion USD of economic output are at risk due to the rise of drug- resistant infections”. The O’Neil report recommends a...
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Introduction While meat production generates food and a livelihood for billions of people around the planet, it is also associated with environmental and health consequences (OECD 2016). Among production animals, chickens and pigs are species of enormous economic importance for humans, with chickens being the most consumed meet source in the world (13.8 kg/capita in 2016) followed by pigs (12.3 kg/per capita in 2016) (OECD 2016). Given the cultural...
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INTRODUCTION Substantial increases in litter size have occurred in commercial swine production over recent years which have been accompanied by increases in pre-weaning piglet mortality. The number of piglets born alive to sows on U.S. units currently averages approximately 13.5; this number has increased by approximately three piglets over recent years (PigChamp, 2004, 2020). Pre-weaning mortality levels have also increased over this time period and currently average in...
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1. Introduction With 1766–1768 nucleotides, porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the smallest genomic panzootic associated virus among the circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses hitherto. These ssDNA viruses are remarkably understudied, and only recently have researchers begun to study these viruses due to the advent of next-generation sequencing in birds, fish, mammals, and even humans [1,2]. The small genome of PCV2 encodes at least nine different transcripts...
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Current market review and perspective of Florfenicol, Tilmicocin, vitamins and aminoacids
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Introduction As the economic success of sow husbandry relies very much, but not solely, on the ability of sows to produce a high number of piglets per sow per year, a high sow litter size contributes to this goal. Genetic selection for higher litter size has resulted in a steady increase in sow litter size in the last decades, and this increase in litter size still continues. For example, in the Netherlands, sow litter size (total number born) has increased...
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Introduction Despite the wealth of information on the many factors that affect sexual maturation and the early breeding performance of gilts, it has been difficult to establish the needed protocols that produce a consistent supply of “good quality” replacement females. In the context of the latest genotypes available to the production industry, it is important to keep addressing the changing biology of the nucleus sows from which replacement...
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Introduction Pork’s historic position as the world’s most popular meat is no more. 2019 was characterized by the explosion of African Swine Fever in China and subsequent slaughter of approximately half of that country’s pigs, representing about 25% of the world's production. Allowing for this catastrophe the exorable rise in the global consumption of chicken ensured it always going to result in its accession to No.1 spot worlds, but...
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