Breeding goals (5/6): Growth and carcass quality
GROWTH
Breeding for growth is beneficial for both the profit and the environment.
The breeding goals for growth are average daily gain from birth to 30 kg and from 30 kg to slaughter for all three breeds, Danish Landrace, Danish Yorkshire and Danish Duroc. Selection for increased average daily gain of the pigs reduces the period before the pigs are ready for slaughter or increases the weight of the pigs over the same growing period. This results in less days of housing and labor and energy costs for the same amount of produced meat.
BREEDING GOALS FOR GROWTH:
- Average daily gain, 30 kg to slaughter
- Average daily gain, birth to 30 kg
CARCASS QUALITY
Danish Pig Genetics secures a high carcass quality through selection for a low backfat thickness at a specific weight. Backfat thickness is negatively correlated with the lean meat percentage of the animals. The direct selection for a lower backfat thickness increase the genetic progress for more lean animals compared to direct selection for lean meat percentage.
Danish Pig Genetics animals are free of the halothane gene. This means that the animals are less sensitive to stress and produce meat of a high quality. The removal of the halothane gene results in pH having a reduced influence on production yield, and that the meat has a slower decrease in pH and thereby a lower drip loss since pH and drip loss are correlated. This results in meat of high quality.
BREEDING GOALS FOR CARCASS QUALITY:
-
Backfat thickness at a specific weight for both the terminal and maternal line
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
