FOCUS ON MAXIMUM GENETIC AND ECONOMIC GAIN

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 feed efficiency 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.
• Early gain (sow effect) is the sow’s genetic effect on the early gain (birth – 30 kg) of her piglets.
• Survival (piglet effect) is the piglet’s own genetic potential to survive. This trait is highly genetically correlated to the number of weaned piglets.
• Survival (sow effect) is the sow’s genetic potential to ensure that her piglets survive. This trait is highly genetically correlated to the number of weaned piglets.
• Litter size is the sow’s genetic predisposition for reproduction measured as the total number of piglets born.