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Lecture 3-1

LECTURE 3

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Ranjan Sharma
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15 views28 pages

Lecture 3-1

LECTURE 3

Uploaded by

Ranjan Sharma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Choosing pig breeds and

breeding practices
DR EMILY KIPRONO
Classification of pig breeds
• There are more than 350 pig breeds,
varieties and strains worldwide.
• These are divided into four groups
– Dual purpose breeds
– Production breeds
– Reproduction breeds
– Local breeds (scrub)
Dual purpose breeds
• Reproductive performance
– Medium puberty (190-240d)
– Average Litter size; LSF=10-12; LSW=8-9.5
– Few libido problems
– Low Embryonic mortality
• Average growth (200-240 days to market)
– Carcass quality: Lean to Fat
– Stress tolerant
• Example breeds: Large whites, Landraces,
Chester white, Duroc
Production breeds
• Reproductive performance
– late puberty (>240days)
– Average Litter size; LSF=8-10, LSW=6-8-
– Low libido-
– High Embryonic mortality
• Fast growth (200 or less days to market)
– Carcass quality: Lean long carcasses
– Prone to stress – Halothane gene
• Pietrains, Hampshires, Poland China,
Belgian Landrace.
Reproduction breeds
• Reproductive performance
– Early puberty (60- 120days)
– Average Litter size;-LSF=13-17; LSW=10-14
– Few libido problems- very low Embryonic mortality
• Slow growth (80kg in 80 months and low
mature size)
– Carcass quality; Fatty, short carcasses
– Hardy
• Chinese breeds: Meishan, Damin,Taihu, Jiaxing,
Erhualin
Local breeds (scrub)
• Reproductive performance
– -Varied Puberty
– -Varied Litter size
• Varied growth and adapted to local
conditions
• Varied carcass quality
• Open to selection for new breeds
depending on locality
Large white

Erect ears, slightly dished faces:


• Landrace

The ears are large and heavy and


are carried close to the face
• Danish Landrace

long snouts and heavy drooping


ears
Pietrains

Short legs, stockier in build, broad backs;


Hampshires

Large size, hardy vigor, outstanding carcass


qualities. Once common in Kenya.
: Poland China

Fastest growing pigs; very large; sound


feet and legs
Meishan

wrinkled face and skin. Sows (61.6 kg) in live-


weight Early puberty (2.5-3 months); high embryo
survival
Meishan: Have another look
Improvement of Local Breeds

• Selection- Identify a hyper-prolific strain


• Cross breeding: cross breed with highly
selected boars with specific
characteristics.
Mirror, mirror
on the wall!
Which is the
best couple of
all?

Selection of future
parents of the pigs that
will go to market
Selection: Key characteristics to look for
Economic trait Explanation Heritability
Birth weight Light weights survive less 0.05
Litter size at weaning Measures mothering ability 0.12
Litter size at Piglets justify costs of keeping the sow 0.15
farrowing
Weight at weaning Determine post weaning growth 0.17
Conformation Measure of herd quality 0.29
FCE Determines profitability 0.3
Backfat thickness Grade of carcass 0.5
Loin eye area Grade of carcass indicates amount of red 0.5
meat
Proportion lean cuts Trimable fat and edible meat measure 0.5

Ham proportion Highest priced cut on carcass 0.58


Carcass length Higher grade at market and very heritable 0.6

Daily gain after Determines time to market and FCE


weaning
Super sow selection: An example of a
3- way terminal cross

Start Chinese () Dual purpose ()

Specialized ()
Step 2 F1 -high lean
-fast growth
Advantages of 3-way cross
Low cost females
Low use of expensive boar
Maximal maternal & individual Terminal
heterosis sows
Super sow selection: An example of a
4-way terminal cross

Start Chinese () Dual purpose ()-1

Step 2 F1 Dual purpose ()-2

¼ Chinese Specialized ()

Terminal cross
Super sow selection: Line selection
Start

Chinese (-11) Prod (-11) Chinese(-21)

Prod ()-(2)1
2 lines F(1)1 (-(1)2) F1(1) (-(1)2)

F(1)2 F(2)2
Step 3

terminal F(12)3
Selection indices
• Improves on traditional selection based on
minimum standard for each trait.
• It combines all the desired traits in some
weighted importance and hence accords
simultaneous selection.
• Hence it balances the weak points with strong
points for each animal.
• The ideals of a trait should remain constant over
time
• Indices calculated can be used to rank sows
and boars for selection
Example of a boar index
– Boar index=100+60(DG-DG) -75(F/G-
F/G)-70(BF-BF)
» DG= daily gain versus group
daily gain average
» F/G=feed conversion versus
group feed conversion average
» BF= back fat thickness versus
group back fat thickness
average.
Example of a sow index
– Sow index=6.5NBA+LW21
» Litter weight adjusted to 21
days
» Litter size at weaning adjusted
to 10 by adding 4.1kg and 4.5
kg for each pig less at weaning
for gilts and sows respectively.
In summary
• In selecting a boar, concentrate on the more
heritable, economically important traits such as
growth rate and feed conversion ability.
• Gilts (girl pigs) are from good families without
physical abnormalities disorders (cripples,
lameness, hernias, cryptorchids and closed
anuses and a reputation good litter production.
averaging 12 piglets each of weighing above 1.3
kg at birth.
• Gilts should also be physically attractive with
more than 6 pairs of mammary glands (more of
them in thoracic region) and sound feet

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