Growth Performance, Backfat Thickness and Selection Orientation for Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire Boars Raised at DABACO Nuclear Breeding Pigs Company

Abstract

     The study aimed to evaluate the growth performance, backfat thickness and selection orientation for boars raised at Dabaco nuclear breeding pigs company. The data on individual productivity of Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire pigs from 246, 524 and 466 individuals, respectively, were statistically analyzed to evaluate the influencing factors by SAS 9.1.3, estimate heritability parameters by VCE 6.0.2, and to predict breeding value by PEST 4.2.3. The results showed that three boar groups attained high daily weight gain, i.e. 785.23, 796.25 and 794.78 g/day,

respectively and 11.75, 12.10 and 12,07mm, respectively, for backfat. Heritability estimates of ADG and backfat were 0.20-0.29 and 0.42-0.52, respectively. The sires with high breeding values for each trait predicted by BLUP also produced progeny with high breeding values. The variation in genetic tendency over the years for ADG as well as backfat suggests the necessity of selective orientation based on BLUP to genetically improve the two traits for the boars raised at the company.