DanBred breeding goals and documented results

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Measured in Euro, genetic progress is not only affected by the economic value of the traits in the breeding goal, but also by a number of other factors such as their heredity,
genetic variation, the scope of testing and selection intensity,
along with the shared genetic correlations of the traits. DanBred’s breeding system is based on unique large populations of purebred DanBred Landrace, DanBred Yorkshire and DanBred Duroc – and a broad scope for performance testing.

In addition to this, the recent introduction of 100% genomic selection ensures breeding values can be calculated more accurately. This makes a positive contribution to genetic gain. DanBred conducts DNA testing on all breeding animals,
resulting in an increase of 30 % in genetic gain – a benefit that is available for everyone who uses DanBred genetics in their production.

The DanBred breeding goals

The breeding goals for DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire are identical, while the breeding goal for DanBred Duroc differs both in the economic weighting of each trait and in which traits are included. This is because DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire are used for sow production while DanBred Duroc focuses on the production of finishers (or slaughter pigs).

You can read more about the traits included in the breeding in the factbox.

Tremendous DanBred genetic progress

Over the last three years, DanBred has generated and documented a genetic gain of € 5.97 per finisher. And everyone who uses DanBred genetics in their herd stands to benefit!

The greatest gains can be seen in feed conversion – € 2.13 over the past three years. Hereafter litter size is at € 1.58, and daily gain is close behind with € 0.99. The other gains in the traits of the breeding objective include a meat percentage of € 0.43, a father-effect on litter size of € 0.32, longevity of € 0.17, conformation of € 0.15, weaner growth of € 0.64, and slaughter loss of € 0.29 .

In terms of production figures, DanBred have achieved the following results over the last three years to the benefit of DanBred’s customers:

Greater weaned litters through the improvement of LG5 (+1.2 pigs/litter)
Lower production costs through the improvement of daily gain in weaners (+ 9 grams/day) and in finishers (+57 grams/day) as well as better feed conversion (-0.108 feeding units/kg growth)
Higher value of carcass through improved meat percent (0.33%) and a lower slaughter loss (-0.09 kg/pig)
Lower replacement of sows and culling of finishers thanks to the improvement of the animals’ conformation (0.09 points) as well as an improvement in the longevity of sows (-0.03)

When buying genetics from DanBred, you can get a full declaration, i.e. an official approved Herd-Book Certificate, that not only includes an overall index but also genetic sub-indices for all the traits included in the breeding goal for the specific DanBred purebred or hybrid.

FACTBOX:

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

Daily growth (0-30 kg and 30-100 kg) shortens the production time to slaughter and decrease the cost for production.
Feed conversion is included in the breeding objective to increase finisher feeding conversion and reduce 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. The aim is to reduce the risk of culling both the finisher and the sow due to leg and/or back problems.
Slaughter loss is part of the breeding objective defined as the increase in the carcass’ percentage of the live weight to the nearest percentage point.
Longevity (of sows): Longevity is defined as the likelihood that a sow will be mated after the first litter and serves as an indicator of the sow’s productive lifespan.
LG5 is the number of living pigs in the litter five days after farrowing. This trait is highly genetic correlated to number of weaned piglets and reduce the mortality from birth to weaning.

Traits included in the breeding goals for DanBred Duroc

Father-effect on litter size (male fertility) is the number of born pigs in the litter
Daily growth, feed conversion, lean meat percentage, conformation and slaughter loss – i.e. the same traits, that are included in DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshires breeding goals.

New DanBred breeding goals on the way!

The current DanBred breeding objective was defined in 2015 and is due for revision in 2018. You can read more about the New DanBred breeding goals HERE