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The report, “Results for DanBred Pigs 2025”, provides a complete overview of how breeding progress is reflected in both DanBred nucleus and production herds, while also presenting a forecast for future breeding progress.
“Our results are based on a large and qualified data set, which I see as a major strength. The report shows clearly what breeding delivers today, but also what we expect in the future,” says Christian Fink Hansen, Director at Pig Research Centre in Danish Agriculture & Food Council.
Stronger and more robust pigs
A breeding progress of almost €5 per DanBred finisher pig has been achieved in DanBred’s nucleus herds over the past two years, with piglet survival, sow survival, and feed efficiency contributing the most to the overall progress. Robustness traits accounted for 73% of the overall progress, while productivity and reproduction traits contributed 18% and 9%, respectively.
Top 10% highlights the full potential
Breeding progress achieved in previous years has led to a significant increase in productivity in production herds. The number of weaned pigs per sow per year has increased by nearly 2 pigs on average in only two years, supported by an increase of 1.6 percentage points in piglet survival. Among finishers, productivity has increased steadily and significantly, with a 5-7% improvement in production value per pen per year.
In 2024, the top 10% of DanBred sow herds weaned an impressive 41.9 pigs per sow per year and achieved a piglet survival rate of 82.1%. The top 10% of DanBred finisher herds also demonstrated outstanding feed efficiency at 2.23 kg feed per kg gain and an average daily gain of 1,162 grams. This results in a production value of EUR 141 per pen per year.
“These results show that our genetics are leading both in terms of productivity and in strengthening the profitability of our customers. The large data set proves that DanBred has a clear advantage globally,” says Torben Aarris, CEO of DanBred.
Higher survival and more litter weight gain in the future
DanBred is the only company to present a prognosis showing the expected long-term breeding progress.
The overall annual breeding progress is expected to reach EUR 2.48 per DanBred finisher pig, with the largest contributions coming from piglet survival, sow survival, and litter gain.
This report is the only one of its kind that publicly documents how DanBred genetics deliver measurable improvements in productivity and robustness, while also providing a solid foundation for future development.
October 9, 2025 - DanBred
