LESSON 4 IN ANIMAL PRODUCTION: BREEDS AND BREEDING OF SWINE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Distinguish breeds of pigs based on physical, reproductive, and behavioral features;
2. Select breeding animals based on superiority of pedigree or production performance;
3. Perform flushing of selected gilts and sows, and monitoring for signs of heat and of
pregnancy; and
4. Compare the different systems of breeding.

BREEDS AND BREEDING OF SWINE

This chapter will inform you about the distinguishing features of different breeds of pigs, the
criteria in selecting or culling breeders and replacement stocks, and the various systems and
methods of breeding. A breed is a group of animals with similar traits. Breeds of pigs are
differentiated by their color (or color combinations), size and position of ears, length and shape
of the snout, body length, weight at maturity, backline, and behavioural and reproductive
characteristics.

No individual breed can be considered as the best breed, each breed has its good and bad traits.
Selecting a breed of swine depends on the type of operation and production goals of the farm.
For example, Landrace and Large pree White breeds are commonly used as sow line, while
Duroc and Pietrain are used as boar line. The genetic potential of the animals is necessary in
achieving the production parameters envisioned by the farmer. However, the overall
performance of the animals is also largely affected by the environment. Hence, proper
management in all aspects and stages of production must be practiced, starting with the proper
selection of stocks and breeding management.

WORD BANK
snout - the long projecting nose of a swine

sow - an adult or fully grown female swine

boar - an uncastrated male pig or swine

gilt- a young female swine

wean - to feed a young animal food other than its mother's milk
farrow- the process of giving birth to piglets.

PART 1: BREEDS OF SWINE

Pigs or swines can be easily raised indoors or outdoors. They can be slaughtered and sold as
pork meat or turned into various pork products or cold cuts. They can also be sold alive, for
example, to people engaged in the roasting business. They can also be raised for breeding stock.
However, before an individual starts to raise swine for business, knowing the right breed of pig
to raise plays a key role in the success of one's endeavors.

The individual traits or merits of the swine are essential in producing and maintaining a
profitable herd, especially if the swine farmer aims to sell breeding stock. An ideal swine is often
deemed as healthy, structurally sound, thick muscled, and with a large body.

Breeds of swine can also be divided into two categories: maternal breeds and terminal breeds.
Maternal breeds have large litters and selected for replacement females. Terminal sire breeds
have excellent growth and carcass quality; they are often used for terminal crosses.

Examples of maternal breeds are Landrace and Yorkshire, among others.

Meanwhile, terminal sire breeds are Berkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, and Pietrain,
among others.
Large White

Large White is a white breed known for its good mothering ability and large litter size.
Originating from England, the breed has medium sized ears that are carried erect. Its snout is
relatively short and straight, while its legs are generally sturdy and strong.

Large Whites are relatively short and big bellied; they have a curved back and their body inclines
forward. They are fast growers, good feed converters, highly prolific in producing multiple off
springs, and excellent milkers with superior mothering ability. They produce carcasses with thick
back fat, ideal for bacon production. They are well adapted to confinement but not in rugged
conditions.

Landrace

The Landrace, which originated in Denmark, is also a white breed. It has a long body, large
drooping ears, and long, relatively straight snout. It is also known for its mothering ability and
highly prolific in producing multiple offsprings. However, the Landrace has weak hindlegs and
pasterns and it has difficulty in adapting to rugged conditions.

Moreover, some types of landrace have bluish-black spots or marking on the skin.

Duroc

The Duroc or Duroc Jersey originated from the US. This breed's color ranges from light golden
brown to very dark red.
Most Duroc are cherry red. The head is small in proportion to the body, with medium-sized
drooping ears, and a snout that is relatively short and straight. Duroc is considered a superior
breed in terms of growth rate and feed efficiency. It has a good muscle quality and is probably
the most resistant to stress. This breed is also becoming popular as a terminal sire for the
production of slaughter pigs, characterized by fast growth rate, better feed efficiency, and good
muscle development with desirable carcass quality.

Hampshire

The Hampshire is black with a white belt around the shoulder and body.
This breed is short legged and lacks body thickness. The Hampshire sow is known for weaning a
high percentage of the piglets farrowed; it can also easily adapt to very rugged conditions.
However, the Hampshire's growth rate has often been average or below average.

Berkshire

The Berkshire breed from England is black with six white points-white feet and some white
areas in its tail and face. The Berkshire's face is wide and dish- shaped, with a short snout and
medium erect ears. Its body is long, medium in size and inclined forward.

The Berkshire has a desirable length, balance, and depth of body. It can easily adapt to rugged
conditions; it has an excellent carcass quality--meaty However, it lacks good growth and it is not
efficient in converting feed to weight gain. It is not highly prolific and poor in feed efficiency.
Moreover, a Berkshire sow is not as prolific as the other breeds of swine.

Pietrain

The Pietrain breed from Belgium has a spotted black and white color, erect ears, and very lean
meat. It has a poor body constitution, slow grower, highly susceptible to stress, and not a good
feed converter. Its carcass, however, offers a high lean percentage.

Philippine native swine (native pigs)

Native pigs are small and a late maturing breed. Most native pigs have black skin, although some
have white skin. They have small ears, sway back, and weak pastern. Native pigs are strong
under Philippine conditions and show good motherly instincts in protecting their progenies from
predators. Native pigs from different regions may vary in color, size, and appearance.
PART 2: SELECTION AND CULLING OF BREEDERS AND REPLACEMENT
STOCKS

TRIVIA!

In animal production, it is required that a breeding animal should have well-developed ham, loin,
and shoulder.

WORD BANK

culled boar or sow- a sow or boar removed from the breeding group because of undesired traits
breeding- the process of producing more animals through selective mating, hybridization, and
other methods

Selection and culling are opposite terms which are equally essential in are assuring the
continuity of good performance of the animals. In selection, only the best animals in terms of
appearance and production traits used for breeding purposes. Selected animals are favored to be
the parents of the next generation of animals. Generally, superior boars and gilts are given a
chance to reproduce. In culling, animals with undesired traits are not allowed to reproduce; they
are sold or slaughtered.

Carefully study the qualities of the animals that you will choose. Only select healthy animals.
Healthy pigs and boars show the following signs: (a) active, lively, have smooth and shiny hair
coat, bright eyes with no ocular discharge, and moist snout; (b) they have good appetite; they
compete with other pigs in the pen for food; (c) the feces of the animals are moist, firm, and
deposited regularly in one place; no signs of scouring; (d) the animals breathe regularly- with
shallow respiration-and normal body temperature; (e) they show no signs of lameness or other
defects; and no signs of abnormalities, unsoundness, and swellings of wounds in any part of the
body.
Traits to Consider in Selecting Replacement Stocks

In selecting your replacement stocks, it is very important to consider highly heritable traits and
moderately heritable traits. Lowly and non-heritable traits cannot be improved through selection.
You should also practice proper management of stocks and provide proper nutrition and good
environment. Here are the traits to consider in selecting replacement stocks.

 Growth rate- This pertains to average daily gain in weight. An average daily gain in
weight of 600 to 800 grams (0.6 to 0.8 kg) is ideal. A 90 kg pig should be 150 to 180
days old. Select replacement gilts and boars that are fast growers.

 Backfat thickness, lean pork - Animals used for breeding animals must have a backfat
thickness of 1.6-2.0 cm (for a 90 kg pig). Electronic devices that measure backfat
thickness are commercially available. Lower backfat thickness goes with well-developed
muscles.
 Feed efficiency - This is the quantity of feed consumed per unit gain in weight. The ideal
feed conversion efficiency is 2.6 to 3.2.
 Carcass traits - These include percent lean cuts, total body fat, weight of hams, loin eye
area, carcass length, and dressing percentage.
 Sow Productivity- These include litter size and weight of piglets at birth and at weaning.
They are not as heritable as the above-mentioned traits,
 Body Conformation - This consists of strong feer and pastern, long body, bright and
clear eyes, smooth hair and skin, strong back, and smooth blending of the body with the
shoulder and ham. the sagging on the back of animals, rough hair, and unnecessary
wrinkles in any portion of the body.
 Unsoundness - Avoid animals with abnormalities because they might cause reproductive
failure. Animals with cryptorchidism, blind teats, hernia, and other forms of unsoundness
must be culled. Their littermates should likewise be avoided since they carry the same
genes that cause these abnormalities.

Choice of Breed

Backyard pig farmers must first use locally-available breeds that are well- adjusted to local
conditions. With experience, the farmer can improve the performance of these pigs through
proper breeding and other management techniques. Large-scale pig operations with the ability to
use modern and improved technologies can use improved and imported breeds. In reality, there is
no best breed. Each breed has its own positive and negative traits. The weakness of one breed
may become the strong point of another, vice-versa

However, it is possible to combine the good traits of each breed, and come up with a type of
animal that has all the good traits of each breed. This type of animal is called a hybrid. Some
hybrids produced by commercial farms are Babcock, Camborough, Cotswold, Hypor, Seghers,
and Minnesota. On another note, heritable traits, especially those of economic importance, would
have different heritability factors.
Selection Procedures

Selection and culling are continuous processeses; they can be undertaken at any stage. The initial
selection for breeders can be implemented just after birth, while the final selection can be
undertaken just before breeding. After the final selection, the breeding animals are still
continuously assessed. Those that do not meet the desired level of performance, or those whose
offsprings show undesirable traits, are culled.

Here are some things to consider during the selection process:

1. Individual performance of the breeding animal-This is the most practical and effective way
of selection under Philippine conditions. The breeding animals are evaluated based on their traits
that can be measured directly. For example, average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and
backfat thickness.
2. Progeny rest or performance of offspring- This is a type of selection based on the
performance of the offspring.
3. Pedigree- This is a type of selection based on the pedigree or performance of family members
in the past. This is effective if there are historical records of the animal being considered.
4. Performance of collateral relatives- This is an effective way of selection based on common
bloodline but not closely related.
5. Specific combining abilities- This is a selection process based on the traits of the animal.

Methods of Selection

There are different procedures in selecting breeder stocks. Each method has advantages and
disadvantages. Discussed below are four methods of selection.

1. Tandem Method- This is a type of selection wherein the traits are considered only one at a
time. This is seldom used in actual swine farming.
2. Eyeball Method- This method is highly subjective and the selection method preferred by
many Filipino farmers. The animal is evaluated based on its physical appearance (e.g. size for
age, fatness, body conformation) regardless of environmental conditions.
3. Independent Culling Method- This is the technique that most swine farmers use. This
method considers two or more traits; each trait is treated independently in a separate standard.
The ultimate basis is the animal's average score in all traits being considered.
4. Selection Index- This method considers more than one trait. It weighs the heritability,
phenotypic, and genotypic correlations, as well as the apparent economic values of each trait.
Because of its complexity, it is difficult to apply in actual swine farming.

Overall, consider a systematic approach to validate your breeders. You can use one of the
methods discussed above or modify it to suit the condition of your farm facilities.

Things to Consider in Selecting and Culling Boars

The quality of the breeder boar reflects the quality of your slaughter hog since half of the genetic
make-up is contributed by the boar. Thus, select boars that possess economically important and
heritable traits.
Here are the physical bases in selecting boars:

 Two big testicles of approximately equal size - Select boars with big
testicles. The largeness of the testicles is closely associated with sperm production. The
right testicle is slightly smaller than the left.
 No blind or inverted teats- Blind or inverted teats indicate unsoundness of the boar.
However, a boar with blind or inverted teats could still be selected if it has another
outstanding quality and would be used in producing market hogs.
 Strong pastern, particularly on the hind legs - Select boars with strong legs because
boars mate while standing. A good and strong pastern ensures efficient breeding. Small
inside toes should be avoided, especially on the hind legs.
 Strong back - This ensures good mounting position and staying on top
during copulation.
 Long and well-muscled body- A boar with this body composition is ideal.
Avoid small boars because they cause mating difficulty with big sows.

Bases in Culling Boars

Boars should be selected based on the swine raiser's preference, anchored with specific
objectives. It is advisable to start selection at an early age and continuously evaluate the boar as
it grows older and bigger until they reach their readiness to perform breeding. Moreover, boars
that are vigorously used for mating should be frequently assessed based on the performance of
their offspring. Unproductive animals should be culled to avoid farm losses.

Here are some reasons in culling boars:

 Inability to meet the standards of excellence of the different traits, including physical
traits and productive performance.
 Absence of sexual desires, Boars that do not show any interest in sex can be more
carefully assessed at 10 months of age for anatomical abnormalities. Those that are
physically normal but still not used for breeding at 10 to 11 months must be culled.
 Temperamental, cruel, or difficult to handle.
 Poor progeny
 Sterility
 Old age or long service period. Overused boars have shorter service period than sparingly
used ones.

Other reasons:
 Short penis or copulatory organ
 Impotent or without any erection
 Difficulty in mounting
 Positive for contagious abortion; those affected by the inflammation of the testicles or
monorchid/crpytorchid
 Heritable unsoundness
Selecting and Culling Gilts and Sows

In selection, it is very vital to evaluate the gilts and sows based on their heritable traits because
half of the genetic make-up of the progeny originated from them. The number of piglets
produced (litter size) and good mothering ability maybe given emphasis if other traits are being
equal. Lastly, take note how the sow efficiently nurses its progenies.

The peak of production of sows is typically achieved at their fourth or fifth parity (farrowing).
Culling is done regularly to avoid losses in the farm. Most sows are culled because of
reproductive failures and physical defects.

Here are the physical bases in selecting gilts and sows.

 At least six pairs of equally spaced teats, no blind or inverted teats
 No extremely large or small nipples
 Long body
 Strong legs, particularly hind legs
 Strong and slightly arched topline
 Ears are not too big such that eyesight is impaired
 Good facial expression; the forehead and the distance between the eyes are associated
with mothering ability

Here are the bases in culling gilts and sows:

 Slow grower: less than 80 kg at eight months of age

 High mortality of piglets due to natural causes
 Has contracted mastitis, has one or more damaged teats, or has become impaired and
non-functional, and have been affected by sickness and diseases
 Less than nine piglets per litter even after the first parity
 Failure to conceive after two consecutive matings
 Poor size and quality of weanlings
 Old age and reduced productivity performance
 Too clumsy because of fatness, overweight, and does for a long period of time.
 Lack of maternal instinct and mothering abilities

PART 3: ESTRUS AND HEAT DETECTION

Estrus or heat period is the period of receptivity of the sow or gilt to the boar. Generally, gilts
have a shorter heat period than older sows. Influenced by the female hormone estrogen, the gilt
or sow ovulates during this stage and exhibits many characteristic signs. The heat period
normally occurs at interval ranges, from 16 to 25 days or an average of 21 days.

Proper timing of breeding is very important to ensure conception and high litter size. It is also
important to closely observe the gilt or sow showing the physical signs of estrus. Heat detection
techniques should be done routinely.
TRIVIA!

Precise heat detection is important in determining the correct timing of insemination.

WORD BANK
litter- offsprings from a single farrowing

Here are the signs of estrus that you should observe:

 Reddening and swelling of the vulva
 Mounting other animals or willingness to be mounted by others
 Restlessness, continuous moving around and grunting
 Frequent urination with very little or no discharge
 Loss of appetite
 Assumes a characteristic mating position when touched on the back either by a boar or a
caretaker
 Difficult to move or be herded in the presence of the boar

Gilts should be bred when they are already eight-months old (at least 120 to 130 kg in weight);
for it to farrow the first litter should be at least a year old. Very young gilts have smaller litter
size and less maternal instinct than older gilts. The age of the sow during the first farrowing
affects the lifetime reproductive performance of the sow.

The interval between estrus ranges from 17 to 24 days, with an average of 21 days. This is the
estrous cycle which is characteristic of the individual sow. The female will continue to show
signs of estrus unless it becomes pregnant.

Heat Detection Techniques

Heat detection is an effective way of confirming sexual receptivity. It is also

used in identifying animals that do not show any signs of estrus. Here are five
heat detection techniques:
  Haunch pressure test - Apply pressure on the rump with both hands; the in heat will just
stand firm and rigid, and assume a mating position.
 Riding-the-back test - This is done by riding the back or pressing the loin or back of the
animal. The receptive gilt or sow will stand still and assume a mating position. -Semen-
on-snout test - This is done by placing an old semen sample on the snout of the female,
by either plain hand or from a squirt bottle. An estrous female will just look around and
assume mating position in the presence of semen odor.
 Teaser method - This is done using a teaser, usually a vasectomized boar. If the female
allows the teaser to mount, she is in estrus.
 Tape recorder test - This is done by recording or taping the sounds emitted by sows and
boars making love or the sounds normally expressed by boars looking for its kind. When
the tape is played, a sow or gilt in heat will look where the sound is coming from.

PART 4: BREEDING SYSTEM AND TECHNIQUES

WORD BANK

pen- small shelter or enclosure for animals

progeny- offspring of animals

Breeding is a complex process. It is a systematic way of improving or producing genotypes to

produce a desired offspring. However, it takes time to create the best breed. Every swine farmer
should have their own breeding program and techniques to produce healthy and productive
animals.

Breeding or mating systems are the systems used to produce the progeny of the breeder animals.
These systems are used to combine the good characteristics of the parents in order to produce
either purebred or crossbreed offspring with
improved production performance. There are four types of breeding systems:
inbreeding, pure breeding, crossbreeding, and upgrading.

Inbreeding

Inbreeding is the process of breeding closely related animals (e.g. father x daughter, mother x
son, brother x daughter). If done properly, using strict selection of stocks, inbreeding can
produce the desired characteristics of the breed. Otherwise, it can bring out negative effects on
the animals' performance due to the appearance of recessive genes.

Pure breeding

Pure breeding means breeding of unrelated animals from the same breed, resulting in purebred
stocks. The main purpose of this scheme is to maintain the genetic superiority of the animal.
However, one of its disadvantages is called inbreeding depression: There is a high risk that
progenies could have abnormalities. (Example: son x mother, daughter x father; mating of
siblings.)
Upgrading

Upgrading is done by continuously breeding an inferior breed with a superior breed to improve
its performance. Female progenies of the inferior breed are bred with a boar of the same breed
until the offspring approaches the characteristics of the superior breed. Upgrading is applied on
native breeds to increase the size of the animal, and improve the growth rate and other
production parameters.

Example: Parent: 100% Native x 100% Landrace

F1: 50% Native; 50% Landrace x 100% Landrace
F2: 25% Native; 75% Landrace x 100% Landrace
F3: 12.5% Native; 87.5% Landrace

Note: Avoid using the same or closely related animal to prevent inbreeding; the objective of
upgrading is to improve the native breed, not to change the breed.
Crossbreeding

Crossbreeding is the breeding of animals from different breeds. It is used in producing pigs
intended for meat production. It brings the good features of the parental breeds. Hybrid vigor or
heterosis means the offspring's performance is higher than the average of its parents.
Crossbreeding can be done as a two-way cross (use of two different breeds), three-way cross
(one parent from a two-way cross is crossed with a purebred), or four-way cross (two parents
from two-way cross).

Example: Two way cross: Landrace (100% bloodline) x Duroc (100% F1= 50% Landrace; 50%
Duroc

Three way cross: Landrace (100% bloodline) x Largewhite (100% bloodline)

F1: 50% Landrace; 50% Largewhite x 100 Duroc

F2: 25% Landrace; 25% Largewhite; 50% Duroc

Four way cross: 100% LR x 100% LW 100% Duroc x 100% Pietrain F1: 50% Landrace; 50%
Largewhite x F1: 50% Duroc x 50% Pietrain F2: 25% Landrace; 25% Largewhite; 25% Duroc;
25% Pietrain
Methods of Breeding

Pen mating- This is used in small operations. The boar and sow are enclosed in a pen and
allowed to mate without assistance.

Hand mating- This is also a form of natural mating but with supervision
and assistance; the sow in standing heat is often brought to the boar's pen. The boar must be used
for not more than two services per day.

Artificial insemination- Semen is collected from the boar with the use of a gloved hand or
artificial vagina, then the sample is examined and processed, and finally inseminated to sows in
estrus.

Timing of Breeding

Breed the female on the first day of showing signs of standing heat. Repeat the breeding after 12
to 24 hours. Gilts need more boar services than sows and have a lower conception rate. A
conception rate of 80 to 95% is ideal for commercial herds. A conception rate lower than 70%
could mean poor swine management.

Gilts often ovulate less than sows. Mature sows ovulate an average of 16 to 18 eggs every heat
period. Among gilts, there is an increase of about two ova between the first and the second heat
period and an additional increase of about 1.5 ova between the second and the third heat period.

Managing and Assisting the Boar

The boar contributes 50% of the genetic potential of the offsprings and, consequently, to the
overall performance of the farm. Thus, it is only appropriate to devote the same amount of care
to the boar as much as we give to the gilt
or sow.
The criteria for evaluating a boar's soundness for breeding must include its history (origin, farm
source, pedigree, previous performance, health and vaccination records), general physical
examination (body conformation, genital examination), semen evaluation, and behavior
evaluation.
A boar reaches puberty at about five months of age, but it should only be used for breeding when
it reaches 7½ months of age. During this period, the quality and quantity of the boar's semen will
be adequate enough. At first, the boar is given a light breeding load of one service per week.

When it reaches nine to 10 months of age, the boar's frequency of service can be increased to one
service every five to six days. At 11 months of age, the boar can be used for one service every
four days; and at 12 months of age, the boar can service twice a week. Starting at 18 months of
age, the boar can be used for breeding every other day.

TRIVIA!

The ideal period to perform breeding is early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

The criteria for evaluating a boar's soundness for breeding must include its history, general
physical examination, semen evaluation, and behavior evaluation.

The boar must be able to experience a pleasant and comfortable mating on its first try. This will
give the boar not only satisfaction but also confidence for its next services. On the contrary, if
the first mating is unsuccessful, the boar will likely become depressed and frustrated, and its
performance will be affected in the future. An experienced sow that is strongly in heat must be
the first partner of a boar.

The total number of boars in a farm depends on the number of sows in the farm. One boar per 20
to 30 sows is the recommended boar-to-sow ratio. In a farm with 30 sows, it is advisable to have
a reserve boar. Boars in big farms must have different age and sizes.

Performing Preparatory Breeding Activities

All your breeder stocks should be healthy to prevent the spreading of diseases in the farm. Newly
purchased stocks should also undergo acclimatization and blood testing. The minimum distance
for an acclimatization pen should be 250 meters away from the farm. Acclimatization should last
for 30 days.

Cleaning and disinfection plays a vital role in preventing diseases. It is very important to remove
all organic materials in the pen and artificial insemination laboratory. Thoroughly clean the
materials and equipment used. Use effective disinfectants that will kill microorganisms that carry
diseases. Delivery tracks should always be disinfected. They should remain outside the perimeter
fence.
Maintaining and Monitoring Animal Health Conditions

Proper feeding, nutrition, and health management practices of animals

contribute to the success of swine production. The nutrient requirement needed by the animal is
considered based on the level of production that will be utilized.
Good nutrition is needed because the specific nutrients required by body of the pig are essential
to maintain its functions-either to gain or loss body weight. The feed intake of the animal
responds to the maintenance of body temperature, size, and other activities. Moreover, proper
feeding of nutrients can influence the condition of body muscles, internal organs, bones, and
other parts of the body. Meanwhile, growth requirements vary on the size, age, and sex of the
animal.

Feeding Scheme for Replacement Stocks- The main purpose of providing proper nutrition to
breeding animals is to in- crease the milk production of sows and quality semen released by
boars during
intercourse.