LENGTH OF PRODUCTIVE LIFE AND LIFETIME REPRODUCTION EFFICIENCY IN SOWS WITH DIFFERENT ORIGIN

I. Dimitrov, B. Szostak, N. Palova, A. Apostolov

Abstract: The study comprised 1684 sows originated from 131 sires with the following origin: Danube White, Large White with a polish origin, East Balkan swine and fattening pigs, classified in four different farms. Animals were housed in individual pens during period of farrowing and suckling period and for East Balkan swine – free farrowing. Animals were raised in groups during gestation period. The length of economic use was measured in days from first farrowing to sow culling. In the standard methods of measuring the length of productive life along with the productive days non-productive days were also included (the farrowing interval) which varied in high limits. Variance analysis, estimation of inheritance as well as the genetic correlations was made according the methodology of the mixed linear-statistical models. The phenotypic variety of the length of productive life in sows was significantly affected by the sources of variation: origin, litter, year of farrowing (P≤0.001) and season of farrowing (P≤0.01). Low values of heritability for the studied traits were established. There were mean to high values of the genetic correlations between the studied traits (rg = 0.519, rg = 0.587).

Keywords: farrowing interval; genetic determination; length of productive life; service period

Date published: 2019-01-28