Influenced by changes in consumer expectations, in society opinions and in technology developments
Merks, J.W.M. et al, 2012. New phenotypes for new breeding goals in pigs. Animal, 6:4, pp 535-543.
Genetic trends in pigs can be fast but it takes about 3 to 5 years for the changes to actually take place in the production herds and for the consumers to experience the benefits. Present pig breeding programs have breeding goals including traits of interest, the relative significance of these traits and the direction for improvement. The traits of interest depend of the expected market requirements of pork set by consumer’s expectations and willingness of the society too accept production methods. Therefore, a good prediction of future trends is necessary. Pork chain development combined with information technology facilitate to sample breeding goal associated phenotypes (traits) in a cost effective manner. As you can see in figure XXX the current interests of farmers, citizens, governments representing the society and food industry requires new “phenotypes”: vitality, uniformity, robustness, welfare and health and traits to reduce the carbon food print of pork production, while keeping the production efficiency and product quality.
Improving vitality will result in better survival of piglets during the prenatal period, less piglets born dead, no dead or sick pigs in suckling, nursery and finishing, less sows culled after first parity and lower sickness and mortality in older sows. Improving of uniformity at different levels in the production chain has a positive effect on the management of the animals and on the processing. Uniformity in birth weight of a litter decreases mortality especially of smaller piglets. Uniformity in protein deposition leads to more uniformity in growth and the age at the required slaughter weight and gives a more efficient utilisation of dietary protein. Uniformity in slaughter weight and carcass length increases slaughter plant efficiency. Uniformity in pork chops, meat colour, marbling and drip loss is useful for retail shelves and consumers. Increasing robustness of the animals will improve the ability of pigs to adapt to different stressors they may be face in their life: disease challenges, extremely hot or cold temperatures, low quality feed or changes in housing and management, e.g. by transition from individual to group housing. Reduction of the carbon footprint of pork production can be realised by improvements in digestive efficiency and reductions in maintenance requirements. In pork production males were castrated. Intact males sometimes produce a very bad smell that is smelled after the pork chop is fried. Castration is considered in many countries as a painful interference in the young piglets that should be avoided. But recently selection based on genetic markers opened up selection against boar taint making castration of boars no longer necessary. This is a wish in society existing already for a long period of time. Genomic selection will be of great help to select for the new “phenotypes” and the new more complex breeding goals. Automation processes for identification of animals and carcasses and recording of their traits in different parts of the production chain will result in very informative databases that provide DNA profiles and phenotypes to be used in selection.