1.10.1.2 Pig and poultry breeding nowadays (2024)

Commercial pig and poultry companies often keep multiple breeds or lines to combine their characteristics in crossbred animals which produce the final products. When you buy their products you will not receive specific pedigree information. Pedigree records are only for their own use in the selection process. In the Netherlands, there are two companies breeding pigs: Topigs Norsvin and Hypor (Hendrix-Genetics). The latter company is also the owner of lines for laying hens (ISA) and turkey (Hybrid), In broilers, the US company Cobb-Vantress has their European activities concentrated in the Netherlands as Cobb Europe. Globally the number of breeding companies is still decreasing. In laying hens and in broilers there are only 2 major breeding companies left. In pigs, there are a few more larger ones. In poultry breeding, they do not sell animals of their purebred breeding lines. They sell only their crossbred progeny. In pig breeding, they may offer purebred breeding stock for producing crossbred breeding stock, as this significantly reduces the number of replacement gilts entering the farm.