FOCUS ON MAXIMUM GENETIC AND ECONOMIC GAIN

The DanBred breeding goal includes all traits, which make a positive difference to production costs, have a measurable economic value, are hereditary and show genetic variation, and can be measured directly or indirectly on a large scale. Therefore, the DanBred breeding goal includes traits that result in the greatest possible benefit for our customers’ production economy.

The Danish Pig Research Centre is responsible for the research and development of the DanBred Breeding System, and the DPRC revises the breeding goal at appropriate intervals, i.e. every 3 years on average. Each revision involves the recalculation of the economic values, and for this purpose, a bio-economic simulation model is used. Every revision also includes relevant new traits, which research and development projects have shown to be measurable, hereditary and of importance to the production economy.

The current breeding goal for the two maternal breeds, DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire, has been revised in 2018, and it is identical in relation to traits and economic weighting. The breeding goal for DanBred Duroc has been revised in 2020, and its traits and economic weighting differ, because it reflects the breed’s use as the terminal boar line.

Traits included in the breeding goal for DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire

• Daily gain (birth – 30 kg and 30 kg – slaughter (118 kg)) shortens the production time to slaughter and decreases the cost for production.
• Feed conversion increases finisher feeding conversion from 30 kg – 118 kg and reduces production costs.
• Lean meat percentage is decisive in determining the settlement between the abattoirs and the pig producers.
• Conformation is assessed as an overall score of the pig’s legs, back and posture with the aim to reduce the risk of culling for both the finishers and the sows due to leg and/or back problems.
• Killing out (slaughter loss) is defined as the increase in the carcass’ percentage of live weight.
• Sow longevity is defined as the likelihood that a sow will be mated again after weaning the first litter and serves as an indicator of the sow’s productive lifespan.
• LP5 is the number of live piglets in the litter five days after farrowing, and this trait is highly genetically correlated to the number of weaned piglets and increases the survival from birth to weaning.
• Early gain, maternal effect is the sow’s genetic effect on the early gain (birth – 30 kg) of her piglets.

The figure below shows the composition of the breeding goal for DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire as well as the economic contribution, expressed as a percentage, each trait makes to genetic gain.

Traits included in the breeding goal for DanBred Duroc

• Daily gain (birth – 30 kg and 30 kg – slaughter (118 kg)) shortens the production time to slaughter and decreases the cost for production.
• Feed conversion increases finisher feeding conversion from 30 kg – 118 kg and reduces production costs.
• Lean meat percentage is decisive in determining the settlement between the abattoirs and the pig producers.
• Conformation is assessed as an overall score of the pig’s legs, back and posture with the aim to reduce the risk of culling for both the finishers and the sows due to leg and/or back problems.
• Killing out (slaughter loss) is defined as the increase in the carcass’ percentage of live weight.
• Fertility & Survival, paternal effect is the boar’s genetic effect on number of live piglets at day 5, and this trait is highly genetically correlated to the number of weaned piglets and increases the survival from birth to weaning.

The figure below shows the composition of the breeding goal for DanBred Duroc as well as the economic contribution, expressed as a percentage, each trait makes to genetic gain.