May 7, 2007

TOPIGS tests new facility in France

Swine breeding specialist TOPIGS tested its new boat facility in its nucleus unit in Dombras, northeast of France. The unit is equipped with IVOG-feeding stations to record the individual feed intake of the young boars in a group housing situation.

Just like other sire line nucleus units, the testing facility in Dombras works with Aloka scanners and information gathered will provide greater genetic progress especially with the herd's feed conversion and daily growth. Boars at the Dombras unit will also be tested with Aloka scanners, a technology that measure meat and fat contents of the live animals.

The Dombras unit will test more than 4000 breeding boars a year from the Tempo, Top York and Top Pi lines. The testing facility is an important step in the new TOPIGS strategy for breeding sire lines.

It hopes to boost genetic progress, as improved data collection and shorter generation intervals offer more effective breeding and selection.