Selection of Pigs

SELECTION OF PIGS

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Pig Rearing

Selection is the judicious process of selecting a pig as parent stock for the next generation and the improvement in swine production is the result of strict scientific selection and breeding.

SELECTION OF BOARS

It is important because the boar becomes the parent of more offspring’s than the female as the normal ratio of boar: sow is 1: 15 to 20.

  • The male piglets should be one month older than that of the female
  • The piglets should possess sound feet, legs, underline and body capacity with no over fat.
  • The male piglets/ boar should have two equal sized testicles and should be outwards. They should have good temperament and docility.
  • The piglets should be from better producing gilts and sows which has consistently farrowed and weaned large litters (more than 8) with efficiency of weight gain (72 kg) and feed utilization.
  • The mated sows or gilts should possess more litter.
  • Weight should be according to the age. Preliminary selection at 5 months of age with attainment of at least 60 kg and final selection of boars should be undertaken at 7 months with body weight of at least 90 kg.
SELECTION OF GILT/ SOW
  • They should be selected from mother pigs having large litter size and weights at birth and at weaning of piglets.
  • Piglet should be healthy. There should be no body abnormalities.
  • They should not have watery nose or eyes.
  • They should have well developed udder with 12-14 functional teats and at least 6 teats in each row evenly distributed on belly side with minimum back fat thickness.
  • Gilts should have deep body, thick, well-muscled hams and a prominent neck. Sound feet and legs are important as defects interfere with normal breeding, farrowing and nursing functions.
ADULT SOW SELECTION
  • The sow should farrowed at least once
  • More teats should be there
  • Should possess more litter size
  • The mortality among the litter should be less

Sows that fail to rebreed, which have small litters, fail to nurse or having farrowing problems should be culled.