Breeding goals (6/6): For maternal and terminal lines
Maternal lines
Danish Pig Genetics' breeding program for the maternal lines, Danish Yorkshire and Danish Landrace, are designed with sow producers in mind to produce the most optimal F1 sow. The objective is to produce super sows with characteristics of producing more meat per sow space per year, give birth to strong and robust piglets, and is easy to handle. Therefore, the maternal lines have a specific focus on reproduction (boar fertility and viable piglets), robustness (longevity and strength), and mothering ability (piglet survival and early growth). In addition, the maternal lines provide half of the genetics for the commercial 3-crossbreed finisher pig, hence, growth, efficiency and carcass quality are highly emphasized as part of the breeding program for maternal lines providing uniformity, growth, and efficiency to the slaughter pigs
Figure 1. The breeding goals for Danish Pig Genetics' maternal lines, Danish Yorkshire, and Danish Landrace.
BREEDING GOAL TRAITS DEFINITIONS:
- Saved feed: Amount of feed that is not used for growth and carcass quality, g/day
- Daily gain, 30 kg to slaughter: Average daily body weight gain from growing to finishing, g/day
- Daily gain, birth to 30 kg: Average daily body weight gain from birth to growing, g/day
- Piglet survival: The sow effect on percentage of viable piglets 21 days after farrowing, %/litter
- Early growth, maternal: The sow effect on average daily body weight gain from birth to growing, g/day
- Backfat: Backfat thickness for a specific body weight, mm
- Viable piglets at day 1: The sow effect on number of viable piglets at day 1 of farrowing, no. piglets/litter
- Boar fertility: The boar effect on number of viable piglets at day 1 of farrowing, no. piglets/litter
- Longevity: Probability of sows getting inseminated after first parity, after second parity, and after third parity, %
- Strength: Body structure on legs and posture, scale from 0 to 2.
Terminal line
The breeding objective for the terminal line of Danish Duroc is to maximize the profitability for slaughter pig producers, slaughterhouses and meat processing companies, and consumer satisfaction. This is achieved by putting emphasis on trait categories such as efficiency, growth, boar fertility, survivability, and carcass quality. The updated breeding program is capitalizing on the genetic excellence and pushes further with efficiency and growth as well as fertility in the Danish Duroc male and survivability as more robust viable slaughter pigs have substantial economic value for the pig producers globally.
Figure 2. The breeding goals for Danish Duroc.
BREEDING GOAL TRAIT DEFINITIONS:
- Saved feed: Amount of feed that is not used for growth and carcass quality, g/day
- Daily gain, 30 kg to slaughter: Average daily body weight gain from growing to finishing, g/day
- Daily gain, birth to 30 kg: Average daily body weight gain from birth to growing, g/day
- Backfat: Backfat thickness for a specific body weight, mm
- Boar fertility: The boar effect on number of viable piglets at day 1 of farrowing, no. piglets/litter
- Survivability: The boar effect on percentage of viable piglets 21 days after farrowing, %/litter
- Strength: Body structure on legs and posture, scale from 0 to 2
If you missed the last articles, you can find them here:
- Breeding goals (1/6): Introduction and philosophy
- Breeding goals (2/6): Efficiency
- Breeding goals (3/6): Robustness
- Breeding goals (4/6): Reproduction and mothering ability
- Breeding goals (5/6): Growth and carcass quality
