Breeding for social pigs improves finisher performance
Growth performance is heritable and is affected both directly by the pig’s own genes and indirectly by the genes of its group mates. Recent studies show that there are heritable social effects on growth in the DanBred breeds, and that selection for social genetic effects on growth also improves the growth of DanBred crossbreds. Breeding for social pigs has the potential to improve productivity as well as animal welfare. Learn more about the future prospects for breeding for social pigs in this article. Domestic pigs are social animals and highly adaptable to new environments. In conventional pig production, pigs …
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