Testing

Testing

The testing of DanBred breeding pigs is carried out at the central test station and on farm under the supervision of the National Committee for Pig Production. Herd testing has been introduced into the Danish Pig Breeding Programme to increase the number of tested animals thereby giving a large basis for evaluation and selection of breeding pigs.

Testing Programme:

On station

On farm

5,100 males per year

 90,000 males and females per year

12 males per pen

 8 to 20 males or females per pen

Ad libitum feeding

 Ad libitum feeding

Traits measured                                       

daily gain 30 - 100 kg
lean meat percentage
feed conversion
longevity
slaughterloss (sire lines)

daily gain 1,5 - 30 kg
daily gain 30 - 100 kg
lean meat percentage
longevity
LP5 (dam lines)

All litters from Landrace and Large White sows are recorded both in breeding and multiplier herds. This is a total of 127,468 litters per year.

On farm and on station testing is carried out in the interval 30-95 kg. The pigs are fed ad libitum during the whole growth period. A specific feed composition and specific feed dispensers common to all DanBred herds and controlled by DanBred are to be used.

The principles and the structure of the test procedure are shown in the figure below.

Structure of the test procedure  

Structure of the test procedure

At the end of the test all pigs are weighed and the backfat thickness is measured ultrasonically. Finally, the conformation of each animal is evaluated.