Selection And Culling of Pigs for Profitable Pig Farming:

Selection is the judicious process of selecting the individual animal as parents for the next generation. Selection of proper breed is very important in profitable pig farm. Before farm establishment, selection of breeding stock is the key activity of the farmers. The productivity of any livestock farm depends on both foundation stock as well as on the management. The breeding stock should have the quality of high litter size, strength and vigor of litters, must grow fast and produce quality carcasses, good mothering ability, temperament, grain and feed efficiency of the progeny. Therefore, when buying breeding animals, make sure that pigs come from a farm known to have pigs of good quality. When buying pigs for the first time, it is advisable to take someone along who has the necessary knowledge and experience regarding the proper selection criteria. There are differences among breeds in the economically important traits. When selecting breeds to use in cross-breeding programmes, consider litter size, growth rate, feed efficiency, carcass length, leanness and muscle.