Rapid improvement

Rapid Improvement

The production results for the DanBred breeding herds and central test station appear from the tables below.

Breeding herds - average production results for boars

Breeds

Number of boars

Daily gain (1.5-30 kg)

Daily gain (30-100 kg)

Lean meat percentage

Confor-mation

Duroc

7,777

384

1,053

60.4

2.92

Yorkshire

14,224

359

924

61.6

3.05

Landrace

19,044

379

976

62.3

2.94

Total

41,045

        

 

Breeding herds - average production results for females

Breeds

Number of females

Daily gain (1.5-30 kg)

Daily gain (30-100 kg)

Lean meat percentage

Confor-mation

Duroc

10,033

387

1,004

60.7

2.99

Landrace

22,145

383

932

62.2

3.05

Yorkshire

16,276

363

892

61.5

3.11

Total

48,454v

 - - - -

 

Central test station - average production results for boars

Breeds

Number of boars

Daily gain (30-100 kg)

Feed Conversion kg feed/kg gain

Lean meat  percentage

Slaughterloss kg

Duroc

2,110

969

2,31

60.1

26.4

Landrace

1,358

909

2,38

60.9

26.8

Yorkshire

1,341

883

2,34

61.1

26.3

Total

5,105

 - - - -

Index Calculation

All data from the breeding and multiplier herds combined with all the other data recorded by the owner are sent to the database of DanBred. Every Thursday evening a new index calculation will be automatically carried out in the central computer. Consequently, each Friday morning a new index for all animals in the breeding programme will be available.

The calculations are made by a UNIX computer using the PEST programme developed by E. Groeneveld.

The BLUP method is used for index calculations:

1. All relatives contribute to the estimation of the breeding values for each individual.
2. Simultaneous correction for fixed effects and estimation of breeding values.
3. Breeding animals from different generations can be accurately compared.

A reliable multi-trait animal model is developed on the basis of well-founded assessments of genetic correlations and heritabilities so that known correlations between the various traits of the breeding goal are used. This is very important when a trait is measured on a few animals, such as feed conversion, which is only measured at the test station.

When computing the breeding values the results are obtained using the following model:

Y = S + K + a + l + p +e
where:

S   is the effect of section (contemporary group)
K   is effect of sex
a    is the BREEDING VALUE
l     is the effect of litter
p    is the effect of pen
e    is residual.

In the DanBred breeding programme 90-95 percent of the sows are artifically inseminated. By means of AI and the station test, genetic relationships are created between the breeding stock in different herds. This genetic relationship allows the efficient use of the multi-trait BLUP method.

Genetic Trend
The purpose of breeding is to create a genetic improvement for the traits that are part of the breeding goal. The table below shows the annual average genetic improvement for all four breeds achieved during the last four years.

Annual breeding progress 2003- 2007

Breeds

Daily gain 1.5-30 kg

Daily gain 30-100 kg

Feed Conversion kg/kg

Lean meat, %

Slaughter loss, kg

LP5*

Conformation

Duroc

3.2

19.0

-0.039

0.16

-0.05

-

0.03

Landrace

-0.6

11.9

-0.028

0.03

0.07

0.31

0.03

Yorkshire

-0.1

5.5

-0.012

0.03

0.03

0.32

0.05

Annual average

0.9

12.1

-0.026

0.07

0.02

0.32

0.04

 *LP5: Live piglets at day 5 after farrowing. Included in the breeding goal of the dam lines only.