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The number of poor-quality pigs (tail-enders) a sow produces is a heritable trait. Understanding genetic influences on sow performance can improve breeding programs and overall farm productivity.

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Area of Science:

  • Animal Science
  • Genetics
  • Reproductive Biology

Background:

  • Sow productivity declines with increasing parity, impacting farm output.
  • Poor-quality piglet production, termed tail-enders, is a significant concern.
  • Understanding sow traits influencing litter performance is crucial for genetic improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic and phenotypic factors behind sow influence on tail-enders.
  • To analyze changes in sow performance traits across parities.
  • To assess the heritability of sow characteristics and their impact on piglet performance.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 3592 sows and 13,976 litters in an Australian pig production system.
  • Estimated mean, standard deviation (SD), and slope for traits like born-alive (NBA), stillborn (SB), and tail-enders (TEND).
  • Employed an animal model in ASReml 4.2 for trait analysis.

Main Results:

  • The number of tail-enders per sow is a heritable trait (h² = 0.14 ± 0.04).
  • Sow characteristics and maternal effects on piglet performance showed moderate heritability (0.10–0.38).
  • Variability in sow traits and performance across parities was largely non-genetic.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic selection can target the reduction of tail-enders in sows.
  • Slope traits reflecting performance changes over time are valuable for breeding programs.
  • Focusing on genetic contributions to tail-enders can enhance lifetime sow productivity.