DanBred has introduced a groundbreaking new robustness trait—litter weight gain—to its breeding goals for DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire. This trait is designed to enhance the sow’s ability to nurture and wean more piglets, increasing the number of piglets weaned per litter by half a piglet annually while ensuring stable growth across the litter until weaning.
“Litter weight gain has substantial breeding potential,” says Tage Ostersen, Development Manager at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Breeding & Genetics. “It aligns with DanBred’s overall breeding strategy, as it is positively correlated with nearly all other traits in our breeding goal and holds a high economic value. This trait will also help improve efficiency in farrowing units by easing the workload for producers.”
A Science-Backed Approach to Breeding Progress
The foundation for this trait was established in 2022 through a master thesis by Line Busk Jensen, which focused on measuring a sow’s ability to nurse the piglets assigned to her during litter equalization. Since then, extensive data collection in DanBred’s breeding herds has confirmed the effectiveness of litter weight gain in driving productivity and piglet robustness.
“By breeding for litter weight gain, we expect to see greater milk yield and improved nurturing abilities in sows,” explains Line Busk Jensen, Project Manager at Breeding & Genetics. “This will allow more piglets to be raised by their own mother, reducing the need for foster sows while ensuring stronger, healthier litters at weaning.”
Enhancing Productivity and Piglet Survival
With this new breeding goal, DanBred sows will progressively demonstrate higher milk production and increased nursing capacity, leading to more uniform and resilient piglets. The trait is expected to increase total litter weight at weaning by 3 kg per year, supporting higher productivity and improved piglet survival.
As breeding herds integrate this trait, DanBred customers will witness continuous improvements in sow performance, enhancing efficiency in farrowing units and streamlining piglet management.
For more information on DanBred’s breeding advancements, visit DanBred.com.
