Breeding goals (1/6): Introduction and philosophy

Danish Pig Genetics' breeding system is built on more than 100 years’ experience with professional pig breeding combined with world-class genetics.

Introduction

The core focus of Danish Pig Genetics is genetic improvement to increase customer profit. This is achieved by our breeding objectives which focus on breeding for robustness, reproduction, mothering ability, efficiency, growth, and carcass quality. Through this focus we aspire to develop superior genetics of highest value for each actor along the pork value chain.

Danish Pig Genetics carries out extensive selection and breeding in close collaboration with producers around the world and, in the process, gathers huge volumes of data on a large genetic resource across the three breeds: Danish Landrace, Danish Yorkshire and Danish Duroc.

Danish Pig Genetics' goal is to optimize our client’s businesses by supplying world-class genetics material to result in success of our clients. That is why Danish Pig Genetics cooperate with its customers to design the very best breeding program that can create economic growth and added value for them. Danish Pig Genetics owners represent a long history and are considered some of Denmarks most experienced breeders, vendors, and multiplication specialists. In addition, the still growing team of Danish Pig Genetics consists of experienced technicians, data analysts and geneticists. By experience and innovative thinking, together we create world-class breeding programs that raise the level of pig breeding world-wide. The breeding herds of Danish Pig Genetics produce the purebred terminal line Duroc, and purebred Yorkshire and Landrace animals which constitute the maternal line. By the power of heterosis, we produce a commercial animal of 25 % Yorkshire, 25 % Landrace and 50 % Duroc in a powerful combination for the pig producers.

Balanced breeding

The aim of Danish Pig Genetics' breeding program is genetic improvement by balanced breeding to increase sustainability of the pig production in both an economic, environmental, and social aspect. More output for less input and more meat per sow space per year are essential to secure sustainability in future pig production. The biological complexity of the breeding goals makes it necessary to balance the traits against each other to secure optimal breeding. Therefore, we have focused on a balanced breeding program by in corporating number o f breeding goal traits from efficiency, growth, robustness, reproduction, mothering abilit y and carcass quality categories. These focus points are chosen because the combination of them results in a more sustainable breeding with profit for the consumers, less environmental pollution, and increased animal welfare. We select for a super sow which can handle its own piglets, produce more meat per sow per year, give birth to strong and robust piglets, and is easy to handle. In addition to this goal, we select for an efficient and robust finisher pig which have high average daily gain, feed efficiency, and level of carcass quality. This secures a sustainable pig production for both sow and slaughter pig producers.