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Control of Pig Reproduction II

Control of Pig Reproduction II

Genetic Factors Influencing Prolificacy

bp0012cpr10 | Genetic Factors Influencing Prolificacy | CPR1985

Effectiveness of genetic selection for prolificacy in pigs

Bichard M. , David P. J. ,

Summary. This paper attempts to summarize and discuss the new evidence on the effectiveness of selection for prolificacy. In recent years selection between lines, and the adoption of formal cross-breeding programmes, have led to considerable improvements at a commercial level. Within-line selection has not been tackled seriously except in a few experiments. The mainly negative results from these should not lead to the conclusion that progress is impossibl...

bp0012cpr12 | Genetic Factors Influencing Prolificacy | CPR1985

Selection of breeds, strains and individual pigs for prolificacy

Legault C. ,

Summary. Prolificacy, defined as litter size at birth, is currently considered to be the most important component of sow productivity. However, in spite of a spectacular increase in productivity due to management advances, litter size at birth has remained constant for the past 20 years. This situation seems to question the long-term efficiency of the classical methods of genetic improvement such as within-herd selection and crossbreeding between European...