April 28, 2008

In-breeding in pigs causes defects, small litter

Cross breeding is a better alternative to in-breeding even for countries like the Philippines with a bigger backyard pig farm sector, a British expert said during the recently concluded hog convention.

Dr. Rex Walters of the British Pig Association said that while in-breeding--allowing swine and sow from the same breed to mate and reproduce--is commonly practiced by pig farms, it increases the possibilities of animal defects and lesser litter yield per year.

Cross breeding, however, improves survival rate of piglets and increases by about six percent the litter size per year, Walters said.

The use of good genetics for production will produce a good number of pigs per year as well as fast and efficient growth, he said.

Though technological advancements and methods used in hog farming abroad are efficient, these technologies such as DNA and the utilisation of biochemical pathway, have yet to be adopted in the country.

Cross breeding, on the other hand, can be processed naturally and at a lower cost, which would be an efficient method of reproduction that can be used by local hog raisers.

He pointed out that the Philippines is the 10th biggest hog producer worldwide.