BREEDING SYSTEMS

AND

SWINE IMPROVEMENT
• BREEDING OR MATING SYSTEMS ARE THE APPROACH TAKEN TO PAIRING
A BOAR AND A GILT OR SOW FOR BREEDING IN ORDER TO INCORPORATE
OR MAINTAIN DESIRED TRAITS. BECAUSE THE GENETICS OF A PIG PLAYS
AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ITS PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY, ALL PIG
PRODUCES SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH BREEDING SYSTEMS FOR PIGS.
THIS FACT SHEET PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO PIG BREEDING
SYSTEMS AND HETEROSIS. PRACTICAL SWINE BREEDING SYSTEMS FOR
SMALL AND BEGINNING PIG FARMERS ARE ALSO DISCUSSED.
INBREEDING
• THIS KIND OF MATING SYSTEM RESULTS FROM MATING
INDIVIDUALS MORE CLOSELY RELATED THAN THE AVERAGE OF
THE. POPULATION FROM WHICH THEY COME. THE CLOSER THE
PARENTS ARE RELATED, THE MORE HIGHLY INBRED ARE THEIR
OFFSPRING. THE GREATER THE AMOUNT OF
• INBREEDING BRINGS OUT RECESSIVE OR DETRIMENTAL GENES
IF THEY ARE CARRIED BY THE ORIGINAL NON-INBRED STOCK.
INBREEDING ALSO GENERALLY CAUSES A DECLINE IN VIGOR
OR IN THOSE TRAITS CLOSELY RELATED TO PHYSICAL FITNESS
• THE MAIN REASON FOR PRODUCING INBRED LINES IS TO INCREASE THEIR
BREEDING PURITY AND TO USE THEM IN CROSSES. IF THEY ARE MADE
PURE, GENETICALLY, AND INDIVIDUALS ARE FOUND THAT COMBINE WELL
(OR NICK) IN CROSSES, THEY CAN BE USED AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH
SIMILAR RESULTS WHEN THE SAME LINES ARE AGAIN CROSSED. AS IN
HYBRID CORN, INBRED LINES ARE USUALLY LOW IN PERFORMANCE AND
SHOULD NOT BE USED AS PURE LINES FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION.
THEY MUST BE USED IN CROSSES. EVEN WHEN CROSSBREEDING, IT MAY
NOT BE PROFITABLE TO USE INBRED SOWS. THEIR PERFORMANCE MAY BE
LOW IN PRODUCING AND RAISING THE CROSSBRED PIGS. MORE
SATISFACTORY RESULTS ARE OBTAINED WHEN INBRED BOARS ARE MATED
TO CROSSBRED SOWS.
• THE USE OF INBRED BOARS MAY GIVE UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS. THE
MAIN REASON FOR THIS IS THAT SOME INBRED BOARS MAY LACK SEX
DRIVE AND A LARGER PROPORTION OF THEM MAY BE INFERTILE THAN
IS TRUE OF NON-INBRED BOARS. THIS DIFFICULTY VARIES AMONG
DIFFERENT INBRED LINES. THE COMBINATION OF THREE OR MORE
INBRED LINES BY USING INBRED BOARS ON LINE CROSS FEMALES
OFTEN GIVES EXCELLENT RESULTS PERFORMANCE FROM CROSSING
INBRED LINES FROM DIFFERENT BREEDS OVER THAT OBTAINED FROM
CROSSING PURE BREEDS THAT ARE NOT HIGHLY INBRED IS ENOUGH TO
PAY FOR FORMING THE INBRED LINES. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO
ANSWER THIS IMPORTANT QUESTION. PERHAPS FOR THE PRESENT WE
SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON IMPROVING THE BREEDS WE NOW HAVE
AND USE THE BEST PUREBRED INDIVIDUALS FOR CROSSING FOR
COMMERCIAL HOG PRODUCTION.
LINE BREEDING

•AFORM OF IN BREEDING WHICH ATTEMPTS TO

CONCENTRATE THE INHERITANCE OF ONE ANCESTORS
OR LINE OF ONE ANCESTORS WITHIN A HERD
OUTCROSSING

• BREEDING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LESS CLOSELY

RELATED WITHIN A BREED.
RANDOM MATING WITH A BREED

• MATING INDIVIDUALS WITHIN A BREED WITHOUT CONSIDERING

PEDIGREE
CROSSBREEDING
• THIS MATING SYSTEM REFERS TO THE MATING OF PARENTS FROM TWO OR MORE
DIFFERENT BREEDS. IT IS THE MATING SYSTEM MOST OFTEN USED BY THE
COMMERCIAL SWINE PRODUCER.
• CROSSBREEDING EFFECTS ARE OPPOSITE TO THOSE OF INBREEDING. THEY
IMPROVE MOST THE TRAITS WHICH ARE RELATED TO PHYSICAL FITNESS. TABLE 9
SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE IMPROVEMENT OF CROSSBREDS OVER THE AVERAGE
OF PUREBREDS THAT MAKE UP THE CROSSES FOR CERTAIN TRAITS. THE
ECONOMIC TRAIT IMPROVED THE MOST BY CROSSBREEDING IS TOTAL LITTER
WEIGHT AT WEANING.
• THE IMPROVEMENT IS DUE TO MORE PIGS FARROWED, ESPECIALLY
BY CROSSBRED SOWS, AND BY THE HIGHER SURVIVAL RATE OF
CROSSBRED PIGS. GROWTH RATE IS IMPROVED SOME BY
CROSSBREEDING BUT FEED EFFICIENCY IS IMPROVED VERY LITTLE.
THE SAME IS TRUE OF MOST OF THE CARCASS TRAITS. ACTUALLY, IT
MAY BE THAT CROSSBRED PIGS HAVE A LITTLE MORE BACKFAT
THAN THE AVERAGE OF THE TWO PUREBREDS MAKING UP THE
CROSS.
 A. TWO BREED CROSS
• THIS IS A SYSTEM USED GUITE OFTEN BY SWINE PRODUCERS. PUREBRED FEMALES
OF ONE BREED ARE MATED TO A BOAR OF ANOTHER BREED. W HEN REPLACEMENT
FEMALES ARE NEEDED , PUREBRED ARE EITHER PRODUCED BY THE SOWS IN THE
HERD OR THEY ARE PURCHASED FROM ANOTHER BREEDER. PRODUCTION OF
REPLACEMENT ANIMALS FROM THE MOST PRODUCTIVE SOWS IN THE PRODUCER'S
HERD MAY HAVE ADVANTAGES BECAUSE THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE SOWS IS
KNOWN AND THE BREEDER CAN DO A BETTER JOB FOR SELECTING REPLACEMENT
STOCK. THERE MAY BE STILL ANOTHER ADVANTAGE IN THIS SYSTEM OVER
PURCHASING OF REPLACEMENT GILTS THERE IS IESS DANGER OF INTRODUCING
SOME NEW DISEASE ON THE FARM OR THE PIGS MAY HAVE A GUIDED A CERTAIN
AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE TO DISEASES ALREADY PREVALENT ON THAT FARM
TWO-BREED CROSS.
THIS IS A SYSTEM USED GUIDE OFTEN BY SWINE PRODUCERS.
PUREBRED FEMALES OF ONE BREED ARE MATED TO A BOAR OF
ANOTHER BREED. WHEN REPLACEMENT FEMALES ARE NEEDED ,
PUREBRED ARE EITHER PRODUCED BY THE SOWS IN THE HERD
OR THEY ARE PURCHASED FROM ANOTTHER BREEDER.
• PRODUCTION OF REPLACEMENT ANIMALS FROM THE MOST PRODUCTIVE
SOWS IN THE PRODUCER'S HERD MAY HAVE ADVANTAGES BECAUSE THE
PERFORMANCE OF THESE SOWS IS KNOWN AND THE BREEDER CAN DO A
BETTER JOB OF SELECTING REPLACEMENT STOCK. THERE MAY BE STILL
ANOTHER ADVANTAGE IN THIS SYSTEM OVER PURCHASING OF
REPLACEMENT GILTS IN THAT THERE IS LESS DANGER OF INTRODUCING
SOME NEW DISEASE ON THE FARM OR THE PIGS MAY HAVE ACQUIRED A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE TO DISEASES ALREADY PREVALENT O N
THAT FA RM
• THE TWO- BREED CROSS DOES NOR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
SUPERIORITY OF CROSSBRED SOWS OVER THAT OF PUREBREDS. THE
ONLY ADVANTAGE GAINED IS THAR FROM HYBRID VIGOR IN THE PIGS
• B. THE BACKCROSSES.
• THIS MATING SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY A FOLLOW UP O N THE TWO-
BREED CROSS. SELECTED GILTS FROM THE TWO-BREED CROSS
MAY BE KEPT AS SOWS AND THEN MATED TO AN UNRELATED
BOAR OF ONE OF THE TWO ORIGINAL BREEDS. IN THE NEXT
GENERATION , SELECTED CROSSBRED GILTS MAY BE MATED TO
AN UNRELATED BOAR OF THE OTHER BREED. THIS SYSTEM MAY BE
CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL GENERATIONS. THE BACK-CROSS
SYSTEM OF MATING UTILIZES HYBRID VIGOR FROM THE
CROSSBRED SOWS BUR SOME VIGOR MAY BE LOST IN THE BACK
ROSS PIGS SINCE THEY ARE MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF O NE
BREED. THE FAC R THAT O NE NEEDS TO WORK ONLY WITH TWO
BREEDS MAY BE OF SOME ADVANTAGE IF EXCELLENT BOARS FROM
THE TWO BREEDS ARE AVAILABLE
• C. THREE-BREED CROSS.
• THIS BREEDING SYSTEM INVOLVES THE MATING O F SELECTED CROSSBRED GILTS
FRO M THE TW0 -BREED CROSS TO BOARS OF A THIRD BREED. THIS PROBABLY
MAKES OPTIMUM USE OF HYBRID VIGOR IN BOTH SOWS AND PIGS.
• SOME PEOPLE ARE AFRAID THAT THE USE OF A THREE-BREED SIRE ROTATION
CROSS SYSTEM FOR SEVERAL GENE RATIONS MAY RESULT IN A " RUNNING OUT "
IN PERFORMANCE. T HIS IS NOT TRUE IF A SPECIAL ARREMPT IS MADE TO USE
THE MOST SUPERIOR SOWS AND BOA RESPONSSIBLE IN SUCH A CROSSBREEDING
PROGRAM
 CROSS BREEDING
STRATEGIES
• BECAUSE OF HYBRID VIGOR, CROSSBREEDING SYSTEMS
ARE USED ON ALMOST ALL PIG FARMS. THERE ARE SEVERAL
DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO CROSS BREEDING THAT
PRODUCERS MAY USE, EACH WITH DIFFERENT APPROACHES
TO CROSS BREEDING THAT PRODUCERS MAY USE, EACH
WITH DIFFERENT ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES
TERMINAL SYSTEM
• ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CROSS BREEDING STRATEGIES IN THE SWINE INDUSTRY
IS TERMINAL SYSTEM. IN THIS SYSTEM CROSSBRED FEMALES ARE BRED TO TERMINAL
SIRE(EITHER PUREBRED OR CROSS BREED). AND ALL OF THE OFFSPRING ARE SOLD.
THIS IS A SIMPLE SYSTEM TO MANAGE WILL CREATE GENETICALLY UNIFORM GROUPS
OF PIG FROM YEAR TO YEAR, AND CAPTURES 100% OF AVAILABLE HYBRID VIGOR IN
THE FEMALES AND ALL OFFSPRING. THE DRAWBACK TO THIS SYSTEM FOR SMALL
AND BEGINNING FARMERS IS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PURCHASE REPLACEMENT
GILTS MAY BE COST PROHIBITIVE AND INCREASES THE POTENTIAL FOR INTRODUCING
NOVEL PATHOGENS INTO YOUR SWINE HERD.
ROTATIONAL SYSTEM
• MANY SMALL PIG FARMS USED ROTATIONAL SYSTEM. IN THIS SYSTEMS
BOARS SELECTED BREEDS ARE ROTATED INTO THE HERD WITH EACH
GENERATION OF REPLACEMENT GILTS. REPLACEMENT , CROSS-BREDS GILTS
ARE RAISED ON FARM WHICH HELPS SUPPORT HERD BIO SECURITY.
SUMMARIZES VARIOUS CROSS BREEDING STRATEGIES IN TERM OF
COMPLEXITY AND PERCENT OF HETEROSIS MAINTAINED IN THE OFFSPRING.
AS THE NUMBER OF BREEDS INCLUDED IN THE ROTATION INCREASES, THE
AMOUNT OF HETEROSIS MAINTAINED IS ALSO INCREASES.
• A ROTATIONAL SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW MAXIMATION OF
HYBRID VIGOR BUT IS COMMON SYSTEM DUE TO THE
POTENTIAL FOR LOWER COST WHEN COMPARED WITH
PURCHASING REPLACEMENT OF ANIMALS. IF NATURAL
SERVICE IS USED A LARGE NUMBER OF BOARS (AT LEAST 1
OF EACH BREED USED IN THE CROSSES). PROVIDES AN
EXAMPLE OF A THREE BREED ROTATION.
COMBINATION SYSTEM
• THERE IS ALSO THE OPTION OF UTILIZING A COMBINATION OF TWO SYSTEMS. A
SMALL SUBSET OF THE HERD IS KEPT IN A ROTATIONAL SYSTEM THAT IS
PRIMARILY TO PRODUCE REPLACEMENT GILTS ARE KEEP WITHIN THE
ROTATIONAL SYSTEM, BUT MOST OF BREED TO A TERMINAL SIRE WITH 100%
OF THE OFFSPRING BEING MARKETED. THIS COMBINATION ALLOWS YOU TO
RAISE YOUR OFFSPRING BEING MARKETED. FOR PRODUCERS MANAGING A
SMALL GROUP OF SOW AND GILTS , THIS SYSTEM CAN BECOME CUMBERSOME
AND DIFFICULT TO MANAGE WELL. DETAILED RECORD KEEPING AND
MANAGEMENT ARE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS SYSTEM
• PIG BREEDING SYSTEMS INFLUENCE THE GENETIC BACK GROUND OF
YOUR PIGS AND THUS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PERFORMANCE
AND MEAT QUALITY. BECAUSE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF HETEROSIS-
PARTICULARLY FOR TRAITS RELATED TO MOTHER ABILITY-CROSS
BREEDING SYSTEMS ARE THE MOST COMMONLY USED. A ROTATIONAL
SYSTEM OF CROSS BREEDING IS GENERALLY THE MOST PRACTICAL
OPTION FOR SMALL AND BEGINNING FARMERS, ESPECIALLY IF
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IS USED.
CHOOSING A BREED.
• THE CHOICE OF A BREED CAN HAVE BEARING ON THE POTENTIAL SIZE
NUMBERS. MODERN OR IMPROVE BREEDS, DEVELOP AND FAVORED WITH
BY COMMERCIALS PRODUCERS, MAY PRODUCE LITTERS RANGING FROM
14 TO 20. THERE ARE EVEN SOME HYBRID SUPER SOWS- OFTEN
DESCRIBED AS HYPER PROLIFIC- WHEN CAN PRODUCE MANY MORE.
• ALTHOUGH A RANGE OF FACTORS CAN HELP OR HINDER LITTER SIZE, IT
IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT THE TRADITIONAL OR HERITAGE BREEDS
ARE LIKELY TO HAVE FEWER PIGLETS PER LITTER THAN MODERN BREEDS.
• THE MOST POPULAR BREEDS ARE THOSE WHICH NOT ONLY TURN OUT DECENT-
SIZED LITTERS, BUT ARE MORE IMPORTANTLY, ABLE TO BUILD A HEAVY, MEATY
CARCASS EXTREMELY QUICKLY. THEY ARE IN ORDER OF POLARITY
• YORK SHIRE
• DUROC
• BERK SHIRE
• HAMPSHIRE
• AMERICAN LANDRACE
UNDERSTANDING PIG
REPRODUCTION

• THE MORE A PIG BREEDER KNOWS ABOUT HOW THE

REPRODUCTIVE CYCLES WORK, THE BETTER HE OR SHE
WILL BE IMPROVE CHANCES OF A SUCCESSFUL MATING
MANAGING MATING'S
• BOTH PIGS TO BE MATED SHOULD BE IN GOOD SHAPE
• GET THE TIMING OF SERVICE RIGHT
• OVULATION OCCURS TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH “STANDING”
OESTRUS, AND THE BEST TIME TO SERVE IS 24 HOURS EARLIER. KEEP
TESTING “STANDING” REFLEX BY PRESSING ON HER BACK.
• FIND A SAFE PLACE FOR MATING
• POST- SERVICE , DO NOTHING THAT MAKES A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO
THE SOW OR GILTS EVERYDAY ROUTINE. APPROPRIATE AFTER CARE IS
VITAL FOR FERTILIZATION OF THE EGGS AND IMPLANTATION OF THE
EMBRYOS TO SUCCEED.