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Reproductive and productive qualities of sows of different genetic combinations

The article aimed to compare the productivity of sows of English and Danish origin in the conditions of one farm in industrial pork production in the northeast ern zone of Ukraine. For this purpose, 120 crossbred sows of the Large White and Landrace breeds were se lected according to the principle of pairs of analogs: 120 came from the genetic company Bridgers, and the other 120 came from the genetic company Pig Im provement Company (PIC). All sows were inseminated with mixed sperm of six boars РИС-337 of gene com pany PIC. It was established that sows of both English and Danish origin had the same percentage of fertiliza tion during the first estrus. However, sows of Danish origin had a 0.8% lower fertility rate during the second and third heats, a 0.9% higher proportion of animals culled due to infertility, a 1.7% lower farrowing rate, a 1.3% longer reproductive cycle and a 1.7% lower av erage annual number of farrowing. However, they had a 5.9% higher number of piglets born per sow per year and a 4.9% higher number at weaning than animals of English origin. It was shown that in sows of Danish or igin, the total number of piglets born was 7.8% higher, the weight of all piglets born was 3.8% higher, the mul tiparity was 7.8% higher, the weight of live piglets was 3.9% higher, and the number of piglets at weaning was 6.8% higher. Estimated reproductive performance indi ces were also 3.5–6.6% higher than animals of English origin. At the same time, sows of Danish origin had a 1.2% higher proportion of stillborn piglets, a 3.6% low er fertility, a 0.9% lower survival rate, an 8.5% lower growth rate during the suckling period, an 8.1% lower absolute gain and a 7.3% lower weight of one piglet at weaning. However, no significant differences were found between sows of Danish and English origin re garding the weight of piglets at weaning.

Key words: sows, reproductive capacity, pro ductivity, genetic origin, industrial pig farming.

VOSHCHENKO I. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2745-3900


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