Genetic parameters for growth rate in Danish organic pigs

TY - ABST

T1 - Genetic parameters for growth rate in Danish organic pigs

AU - Villumsen, Trine Michelle

AU - Chu, Thinh Tuan

AU - Zaalberg, Roos Marina

AU - Jensen, Just

PY - 2021/8

Y1 - 2021/8

N2 - The organic pig sector in Denmark is highly dependent on genetics from conventional pig breeding programs. However, housing, management, and feeding characteristics are very different for organic pigs compared to pigs kept in conventional systems. Before weaning around week 10, piglets are reared in an outdoor production system, whereas after weaning organic pigs have access to both indoor and outdoor facilities. They are fed an organic diet without amino acid supplementation, and they have free access to roughages. Little is known about genetic parameters for growth rate in organically reared pigs. Yet, the differences between the conventional and the organic production system indicate that they might differ. Therefore, this study aimed at estimating genetic parameters for growth rate in Danish organic pigs. The analysed dataset included body weight records of 6,089 pigs from 1,147 litters of 653 sows. Body weight was recorded every time the pig entered the feeding area. Records were collected after weaning from about 10 weeks of age to slaughter. Not all pigs had records for the entire period. A total of ~1.3 million records was available, with on average 57 days of body weight recordings per pig, and 3.8 records per day. A random regression model with 3rd order Legendre polynomials for both genetic and permanent environmental effects was applied. Preliminary analyses resulted in heritability estimates ranging from 0.60 to 0.85 for body weight and 0.49 to 0.83 for growth rate. The corresponding repeatabilities were 0.95 to 0.98 for body weight and 0.70 to 0.91 for growth rate. In conclusion, the preliminary analyses indicate high heritabilities and a large genetic variation for body weight and growth rate, which shows that selection for a higher growth rate is possible in Danish organic pigs.

AB - The organic pig sector in Denmark is highly dependent on genetics from conventional pig breeding programs. However, housing, management, and feeding characteristics are very different for organic pigs compared to pigs kept in conventional systems. Before weaning around week 10, piglets are reared in an outdoor production system, whereas after weaning organic pigs have access to both indoor and outdoor facilities. They are fed an organic diet without amino acid supplementation, and they have free access to roughages. Little is known about genetic parameters for growth rate in organically reared pigs. Yet, the differences between the conventional and the organic production system indicate that they might differ. Therefore, this study aimed at estimating genetic parameters for growth rate in Danish organic pigs. The analysed dataset included body weight records of 6,089 pigs from 1,147 litters of 653 sows. Body weight was recorded every time the pig entered the feeding area. Records were collected after weaning from about 10 weeks of age to slaughter. Not all pigs had records for the entire period. A total of ~1.3 million records was available, with on average 57 days of body weight recordings per pig, and 3.8 records per day. A random regression model with 3rd order Legendre polynomials for both genetic and permanent environmental effects was applied. Preliminary analyses resulted in heritability estimates ranging from 0.60 to 0.85 for body weight and 0.49 to 0.83 for growth rate. The corresponding repeatabilities were 0.95 to 0.98 for body weight and 0.70 to 0.91 for growth rate. In conclusion, the preliminary analyses indicate high heritabilities and a large genetic variation for body weight and growth rate, which shows that selection for a higher growth rate is possible in Danish organic pigs.

U2 - 10.3920/978-90-8686-918-3

DO - 10.3920/978-90-8686-918-3

M3 - Konferenceabstrakt i proceedings

SN - 978-90-8686-366-2

VL - 27

T3 - EAAP Book of Abstracts

BT - Book of Abstracts of the 72nd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science

PB - Wageningen Academic Publicers

T2 - 72nd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science

Y2 - 29 August 2021 through 3 September 2021

ER -