On the genetics of farrowing duration in pigs

By Marcos Lopes With the increase in litter size observed in the last decades, the farrowing duration has also increased. This fact brings new challenges into the farms as a longer farrowing duration can increase the demand for labor per sow during farrowing. Some studies also associate longer farrowing duration with an increase in the […]
Sow weight development: a pragmatic approach

By Rob Bergsma Feed used for maintenance in sows is around 1% of their live weight, and a 10 kg higher sow body weight from first lifetime insemination onwards requires 36.5 kg extra feed for maintenance annually, which increases the feed cost for a sow by approximately 10 EURO per year. Genetic selection, through emphasis […]
Topigs Norsvin line specific reference genomes help pinpoint new genetic variation

By Martijn Derks Within pig genetics and genome research, we usually rely on a reference genome which we compare to the variations within our breeding lines. However, using a single reference genome has its limitations. Unique genetic variations that are specific to our breeding lines but absent in the reference genome may go unnoticed. The […]
Rare (deleterious) variants identified at early stage in our lines

By Martijn Derks An important focus for us is to identify rare deleterious variants as early as possible. Identifying such variants early on allows for the opportunity to quickly select against such variants to improve both genetic gain and animal welfare. To achieve this, we use two primary approaches that significantly contribute to the early […]