Pig Farming and Breeding

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 25836

Special Issue Editors

Institute of Animal Breeding and Biodiversity Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: pigs; breeding; reproductive value; fattening value; slaughter value; meat quality; nutrition; genes; preservation of genetic resources
Department of Pig Breeding, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland
Interests: pigs; breeding; reproductive value; fattening and slaughter value; meat quality; milk quality, nutrition; genes; preservation of genetic resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern pig breeding and production requires knowledge of the basic factors that determine the productive value, breeding value, behavior, and health of this livestock species. To maximize the effects, it is necessary to use the latest achievements in different fields of science: animal science, biotechnology, genomics, etc. These components interpenetrate and complement each other, resulting in valuable breeding and fattening material. The major focus of pig farming and breeding is to produce pork of the quality desired by consumers. This necessitates the use of various measures, such as selection of native and commercial breeds, crossbreeding schemes, feeding, housing conditions, pork production, and processing technology. Each of these elements is at the same time treated as a separate research issue. Their understanding contributes to improving pig farming efficiency while identifying new relationships of potential scientific and practical significance.

This Special Issue presents current research issues regarding pig breeding value, reproductive performance, fattening value, and slaughter value, including quality of pork produced under different production systems (intensive, sustainable, organic). Other topics include veterinary prophylaxis, feeding, welfare, behavior, and the genetic background of different technological groups of pigs. Another aspect discussed in this Special Issue is the productive value of local pig breeds and the possibility of using them in modern production of high-quality meat and cured meat products.

Prof. Dr. Marek Babicz
Dr. Magdalena Szyndler-Nędza
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • pigs
  • breeds of pigs
  • genes
  • breeding value
  • productive value
  • welfare
  • feeding
  • prophylaxis
  • meat quality

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 334 KiB  
Article
Quantification of the Effects of Electrical and CO2 Stunning on Selected Quality Attributes of Fresh Pork: A Meta-Analysis
by Andrzej Zybert
Animals 2022, 12(14), 1811; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141811 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1550
Abstract
Stunning is a statutory pre-slaughter process that may affect the quality of pork. The objective of this study was quantification of the effects of stunning (ES vs. CO2 stunning) on selected quality attributes of pork, using a meta-analytical approach. Data from 18 [...] Read more.
Stunning is a statutory pre-slaughter process that may affect the quality of pork. The objective of this study was quantification of the effects of stunning (ES vs. CO2 stunning) on selected quality attributes of pork, using a meta-analytical approach. Data from 18 publications with 46 individual experiments were combined using a random-effect model to estimate the effect size of stunning on the initial and ultimate pH (pH1, pHu); drip loss (DL); colour (lightness—L*, redness—a*, yellowness—b*); and tenderness (expressed as Warner–Bratzler shear force, WBSF) of pork. In overall, loins from ES showed significantly lower pH1 (by 0.08 units); greater DL (by 0.68 p.p.); higher L* (by 1.29 units); and a* (by 0.80 units) as they compared to those from CO2 stunning. In subgroups, a greater-than-overall negative change in pH1, pHu, DL, L* and a* was detected with the application of the head-to-back (HB) stunning method. Additionally, alterations in DL and L* may be magnified with the application of conventional chilling (Conv.) to ES pigs. There was no effect of stunning on WBSF but, due to a low number of research in the database, the reliability of these results may be misleading. These results provide evidence that the differences between these two stunning methods in DL and L* may be diminished by the application of the head-only (HO) or head-to-body (HBO) method, followed by the fast chilling of carcasses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
14 pages, 3154 KiB  
Article
Identification of Estrus in Sows Based on Salivary Proteomics
by Chenlei Li, Chenglei Song, Kunlong Qi, Yingke Liu, Yaqing Dou, Xiuling Li, Ruimin Qiao, Kejun Wang, Xuelei Han and Xinjian Li
Animals 2022, 12(13), 1656; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131656 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1646
Abstract
The estrus cycle of multiparous Large White sows was divided into three stages to solve the problems of heavy workload and low accuracy of the traditional estrus identification method in pig production. Saliva protein was extracted from the oral saliva of multiparous sows. [...] Read more.
The estrus cycle of multiparous Large White sows was divided into three stages to solve the problems of heavy workload and low accuracy of the traditional estrus identification method in pig production. Saliva protein was extracted from the oral saliva of multiparous sows. Label-free quantitative proteomics was used to detect salivary proteome, and MaxQuant software was used for quality control. Results showed that 246 proteins were identified in the three stages, where 40 proteins were significantly different (p < 0.05). The total proteins identified were enriched by STEM software and the protein function was annotated by using the ClueGO plug-in in the Cytoscape software. The results were enriched to eight different trends. The annotated items were related to protein synthesis and processing and estrogen response. Gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of differential proteins involved in the pathways and entries included oocyte meiosis, response to estradiol, and oogenesis. Further interaction analysis showed that an interaction occurred between P00355, F1SHL9, P28491, F1SDR7, F2Z558, F1RYY6, and F2Z5G3 proteins. The findings served as a basis for revealing the changes in salivary protein content in the sow estrus cycle and provided a reference for the development of an estrus identification kit/test strip in the next step. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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15 pages, 313 KiB  
Article
Effect of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Supplementation on Pork Offal Quality
by Kinga Kropiwiec-Domańska, Marek Babicz, Monika Kędzierska-Matysek, Magdalena Szyndler-Nędza, Ewa Skrzypczak and Bartłomiej Woliński
Animals 2022, 12(12), 1526; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12121526 - 13 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1519
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of milk thistle supplementation of fattener pig feeds on physical and chemical properties of pork offal. The experiments were conducted on 60 fatteners (group C—control (30 pigs) and group E—experimental (30 pigs)). The [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of milk thistle supplementation of fattener pig feeds on physical and chemical properties of pork offal. The experiments were conducted on 60 fatteners (group C—control (30 pigs) and group E—experimental (30 pigs)). The experimental group was supplemented with ground milk thistle (Silybum marianum) at 7 g/kg feed. The offal (tongues, kidneys, hearts, lungs and livers) was analyzed for weight, pH, WHC, water, protein, fat, energy value, fatty acid profile and content of major and trace elements. The present study shows that milk thistle added to fattener pig diets increased pH45 and pH24 values in most of the analyzed offal and significantly (p ≤ 0.01) decreased the weight of heart and lungs and increased the weight of liver and kidneys. Hearts, lungs and kidneys of the experimental group contained more fat and the liver less, than the same offal of the control group. As regards the content of elements, the dietary supplement most often had an effect on the heart and lungs. In general, milk thistle supplemented in fattener diets had modified the physical parameters and chemical composition of the analyzed products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
10 pages, 2568 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Genetic Diversity and Family Structure of the Licha Black Pig Population on Jiaodong Peninsula, Shandong Province, China
by Yuan Wang, Ruilan Dong, Xiao Li, Chao Cui and Guanghui Yu
Animals 2022, 12(8), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12081045 - 17 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2027
Abstract
The Licha black pig, a popular indigenous Chinese pig breed, is known for its multi-vertebral trait and higher lean meat rate. Understanding the current conservation status, family structure, and degree of inbreeding of the Licha black pig population will be useful to maintain [...] Read more.
The Licha black pig, a popular indigenous Chinese pig breed, is known for its multi-vertebral trait and higher lean meat rate. Understanding the current conservation status, family structure, and degree of inbreeding of the Licha black pig population will be useful to maintain a sufficient level of genetic diversity in these animal resources. In the present study, the genetic diversity, population structure, and inbreeding coefficient of this conserved population were analyzed using SNP genotyping data from 209 Licha black pigs. Based on the genomic information, this population was divided into eight different families with boars. The effective population size (Ne), polymorphic marker ratio (PN), expected heterozygosity (He), and observed heterozygosity (Ho) of this population were 8.7, 0.827, 0.3576, and 0.3512, respectively. In addition, a total of 5976 runs of homozygosity (ROHs) were identified, and most of the ROHs (54.9%) were greater than 5 Mb. The genomic inbreeding coefficient of each individual was estimated based on ROHs (FROH) with an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.11 for the population. Five statistics (Ne, PN, Ho, He, and FROH) showed a decrease in the level of genetic diversity and a high degree of inbreeding in this population. Thus, special preservation programs need to be implemented in the future, such as introducing new individuals or improving the mating plan. Altogether, our study provides the first genomic overview of the genetic diversity and population structure of Licha black pigs, which will be useful for the management and long-term preservation of this breed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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14 pages, 3890 KiB  
Article
The Use of Attractants to Stimulate Neonatal Piglet Interest in Rope Enrichment
by Emiline R. Sundman, Nicholas K. Gabler, Suzanne T. Millman, Kenneth J. Stalder, Locke A. Karriker and Anna K. Johnson
Animals 2022, 12(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12020211 - 17 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2089
Abstract
In the United States swine industry, preweaning mortality represents the highest mortality rate of any production phase, nearly half attributed to crushing. The overarching aim of this study was to determine if enrichment ropes would entice neonatal piglets away from the sow and [...] Read more.
In the United States swine industry, preweaning mortality represents the highest mortality rate of any production phase, nearly half attributed to crushing. The overarching aim of this study was to determine if enrichment ropes would entice neonatal piglets away from the sow and reduce preweaning mortality. Rope enrichments were provided to 161 piglets from 26 sows after farrowing. Ropes were dipped in sunflower oil (n = 7), semiochemical (n = 8), or milky cheese (n = 11). Piglet purposeful rope investigations, weight gain, and mortality were recorded. On Day 2, 75% of piglets touched the enrichment at least once, and frequency ranged from 1 to 21 investigations across all treatments. Frequency (p = 0.20) and duration (p = 0.21) of investigations were not affected by treatment. Preweaning litter average weight gain did not differ between treatments (p = 0.71). MC (milky cheese) piglets had the lowest percent mortality when the enrichment ropes were present (Days 2 to 5, p = 0.01), and SC (semiochemical) piglets had the lowest percent mortality after the enrichment ropes were removed (Days 6 to weaning, p < 0.0001). This proof-of-concept study highlights the potential value of neonatal piglet environmental enrichment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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14 pages, 469 KiB  
Article
Carcass and Pork Quality and Gut Environment of Pigs Fed a Diet Supplemented with the Bokashi Probiotic
by Artur Rybarczyk, Elżbieta Bogusławska-Wąs and Bogumiła Pilarczyk
Animals 2021, 11(12), 3590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123590 - 18 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2799
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotics on gut microbiota, on carcass and meat quality and on mineral contents in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in pigs. The research was carried out with 120 hybrid pigs deriving from [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotics on gut microbiota, on carcass and meat quality and on mineral contents in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle in pigs. The research was carried out with 120 hybrid pigs deriving from Naïma sows and P-76 boars. Pigs from the experimental group received the EM®Bokashi probiotic (Greendland Technologia EM®, Janowiec n/Wisłą, Poland) in their feed (containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum). The study showed that EM®Bokashi probiotic supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts in the feed, a lower number of Clostridium in the mucosa and colorectal digesta as well as a lower Enterobacteriaceae count in the colorectal digesta. The research showed that carcasses of the pigs who received the EM®Bokashi probiotic had a higher lean percentage and lower fat content than the carcasses of the control fatteners. Diet supplementation with the EM®Bokashi probiotic resulted in a lower pH and technological yield (TY) and a higher drip loss and shear force at a lower protein content in LL muscle. Moreover, the administration of the probiotic to fatteners resulted in higher yellowness (b*) and saturation (C*) and higher concentrations of Na, Mg and Se in meat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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15 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Combined Effect of Sow Parity and Terminal Boar on Losses of Piglets and Pre-Weaning Growth Intensity of Piglets
by Pavel Nevrkla, Jan Lujka, Tomáš Kopec, Pavel Horký, Radek Filipčík, Zdeněk Hadaš and Vendula Střechová
Animals 2021, 11(11), 3287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113287 - 17 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1622
Abstract
This study analysed the effect of sow parity (P), terminal boars (TB), and their combination on reproductive parameters of sows, losses of piglets, and their individual live-weight (LW) and average daily gain (ADG) from birth to weaning. A total of 120 sows of [...] Read more.
This study analysed the effect of sow parity (P), terminal boars (TB), and their combination on reproductive parameters of sows, losses of piglets, and their individual live-weight (LW) and average daily gain (ADG) from birth to weaning. A total of 120 sows of Large White × Landrace hybrid combination from the first to the fourth parity (30 sows per parity) were included in the observation. The sows were inseminated by terminal boars of Pietrain (Pn), Large Whitesireline (LWSL), and Duroc (D) breeds and Duroc × Large Whitesirelinie (D × LWSL), Large Whitesirelinie × Pietrain (LWSL × Pn), and Duroc × Pietrain (D × Pn) hybrid combinations (20 sows per terminal boar population). The results proved a significant effect of P on the total numbers of piglets (TN), the numbers of stillborn piglets (SB), and the pre-weaning losses of piglets (L) (p ≤ 0.01) with the lowest losses found in the third parity sows. A significant effect of TB was confirmed for TN, the numbers of live-born piglets (LB), SB, the numbers of mummified piglets (M) and non-viable piglets (N), and (L) (p ≤ 0.01). The sows inseminated by D and LWSL boars showed the lowest total numbers of piglets but also the highest survivability of piglets until weaning. Significant effects of interaction between P and TB were observed for the TN, SB, N, and L (p ≤ 0.05). Evaluation of growth parameters in piglets (n = 1547) showed that P significantly influenced LW in the first three weeks of life (p ≤ 0.01) and ADG from birth to Day 7 and from Day 15 to Day 21 (p ≤ 0.01). Additionally, a significant effect (p ≤ 0.01) of TB was proven on individual weight and ADG in all the observed time intervals, with the highest growth found in the piglets of the D and LWSL boars. Significant interactions (p ≤ 0.01) between P and TB were found for LW and ADG in all the time intervals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
8 pages, 226 KiB  
Article
The Effect of the Size of the Litter in Which the Sow Was Born on Her Lifetime Productivity
by Agnieszka Warda, Anna Rekiel, Tadeusz Blicharski, Martyna Batorska, Marcin Sońta and Justyna Więcek
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1525; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061525 - 24 May 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2118
Abstract
Improvement of lowly heritable traits is difficult, efforts must be made to take full advantage of the available information sources to improve them. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the size of the litter in which the sow [...] Read more.
Improvement of lowly heritable traits is difficult, efforts must be made to take full advantage of the available information sources to improve them. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the size of the litter in which the sow was born on her lifetime reproductive performance. Data on 22,683 litters were used to analyse the lifetime reproductive performance of 5623 Polish Large White sows. The sows from small litters (≤9) were on average the oldest at first farrowing, had the shortest herd life, the smallest number of litters, and the smallest sized litters (p ≤ 0.01). A positive relationship was established between the mean number of offspring born per litter and size of the litter in which the sow was born (p ≤ 0.01). For a sow to produce at least seven piglets per 100 days of reproduction, gilts from litters of at least 12 piglets should be selected for breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
17 pages, 2484 KiB  
Article
Oestrus Analysis of Sows Based on Bionic Boars and Machine Vision Technology
by Kaidong Lei, Chao Zong, Xiaodong Du, Guanghui Teng and Feiqi Feng
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1485; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061485 - 21 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2603
Abstract
This study proposes a method and device for the intelligent mobile monitoring of oestrus on a sow farm, applied in the field of sow production. A bionic boar model that imitates the sounds, smells, and touch of real boars was built to detect [...] Read more.
This study proposes a method and device for the intelligent mobile monitoring of oestrus on a sow farm, applied in the field of sow production. A bionic boar model that imitates the sounds, smells, and touch of real boars was built to detect the oestrus of sows after weaning. Machine vision technology was used to identify the interactive behaviour between empty sows and bionic boars and to establish deep belief network (DBN), sparse autoencoder (SAE), and support vector machine (SVM) models, and the resulting recognition accuracy rates were 96.12%, 98.25%, and 90.00%, respectively. The interaction times and frequencies between the sow and the bionic boar and the static behaviours of both ears during heat were further analysed. The results show that there is a strong correlation between the duration of contact between the oestrus sow and the bionic boar and the static behaviours of both ears. The average contact duration between the sows in oestrus and the bionic boars was 29.7 s/3 min, and the average duration in which the ears of the oestrus sows remained static was 41.3 s/3 min. The interactions between the sow and the bionic boar were used as the basis for judging the sow’s oestrus states. In contrast with the methods of other studies, the proposed innovative design for recyclable bionic boars can be used to check emotions, and machine vision technology can be used to quickly identify oestrus behaviours. This approach can more accurately obtain the oestrus duration of a sow and provide a scientific reference for a sow’s conception time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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11 pages, 1868 KiB  
Article
Bloom Time Effect Depends on Muscle Type and May Determine the Results of pH and Color Instrumental Evaluation
by Damian Knecht, Kamil Duziński and Anna Jankowska-Mąkosa
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051282 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1565
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 30 min bloom time and the type of muscle on pH and color parameters together with the possibility of estimating these measurements. The research material consisted of 270 samples from 6 muscle [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 30 min bloom time and the type of muscle on pH and color parameters together with the possibility of estimating these measurements. The research material consisted of 270 samples from 6 muscle types: LD—Longissimus dorsi, LL—Longissimus lumborum, IL—Iliacus, SEM—Semimembranosus, CT—Cutaneous trunci, LTD—Latissimus dorsi. Measurements included pH and color of fresh pork at 0 min, and after 30 min bloom time. Bloom time influenced all analyzed parameters, although to a varying effect, depending on the muscle type. The lowest pH values were noted for dorsal-located muscles (LD, LL), then in the ham area (IL, SEM), and the highest values of the location on the side surface of the carcass (CT, LTD). The large increase in the proportion of L* and a* was observed for CT muscle (20–30%, the highest of all observed) and LTD (20–25%); for LD and LL the largest growth changes were observed for parameters b* (15–20%) and H* (20–30%). The lowest number of strong correlations was noted for LD and CT muscles, and the largest for SEM. A very good fit (R2 > 0.90) of regression equations was achieved in 7 cases. The presented results are an important contribution to the rapid and precise instrumental evaluation of pH and color. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 2761 KiB  
Review
The Feeding Behaviour Habits of Growing-Finishing Pigs and Its Effects on Growth Performance and Carcass Quality: A Review
by Marta Fornós, Santos Sanz-Fernández, Encarnación Jiménez-Moreno, Domingo Carrión, Josep Gasa and Vicente Rodríguez-Estévez
Animals 2022, 12(9), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091128 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2788
Abstract
Based on the available data of feeding behaviour habits (FBHs), this work aimed to discuss which type of pig, according to its FBHs, performs better and is more efficient. As pigs grow, average daily feed intake, meal size, and feeding rate increase, whereas [...] Read more.
Based on the available data of feeding behaviour habits (FBHs), this work aimed to discuss which type of pig, according to its FBHs, performs better and is more efficient. As pigs grow, average daily feed intake, meal size, and feeding rate increase, whereas small variations or even decreases in time spent eating and daily feeder visits have been reported. Moreover, the sex, breed, space allowance, feeder design, feed form, diet composition, and environmental conditions modify FBHs. On the other hand, the literature indicates the existence of four types of pigs: pigs that eat their daily feed intake in many short meals (nibblers) or in few large meals (meal eaters) combined with eating fast (faster eaters) or slow (slow eaters). The available scientific literature about ad libitum fed pigs suggests that pigs eating faster with bigger meals eat more, gain more weight, and are fatter than pigs eating less, slower, and with smaller meals. However, the feeding rate and the meal size do not influence feed efficiency. In conclusion, studies comparing growing-finishing pigs with similar feed intake, but different feeding rate and meal size are needed to better understand the influence of FBHs on feed efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Farming and Breeding)
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