PREDICTION OF PIG BODY WEIGHT USING MORPHOMETRIC TRAITS

Body weight is an essential index used by producers to determine market-ready pigs, and its accurate estimation before the finishing stage helps reduce losses in pig production. However, since most pig farms have limited or no access to weighing scales, this study aimed at modeling morphometric traits to estimate pig body weight. The study involved 120 piglets from a commercial farm at four different ages (1, 3, 5 and 9 weeks) from Duroc breed. Body weight was measured using digital weighing scale sensitive to 0.00 g, while the morphometric traits were taken using a flexible graduated tape, for the points of reference. Thirteen parameters including Body weight (BW), Fore limp (FL), Back length (BL), Ear length (EL), Head width (HW), Head length (HL), Muzzle diameter (MD), Back length (BL), Rump width (RW), Rump length (RL), Heart girth (HG), Neck length (NL) and Wither height (HW) were measured at 1, 3, 5 and 9 weeks ge exerted significant (p<0.05) influence on each of the variables measured, while multiple correlation of variables was mostly highly significant. Four of the variables, BW, FL, RW and NL had highest loadings in the eigenvalues obtained from the two principal components, which accounted for 99.1 percent of the total variation. The general model describing body weight in the study was Body Weight = -5.906 + 1.360 FL + 0.173 RW - 7.184 NL which explained 100 percent of the total variation in body weight. The study confirmed the reliability of body weight estimation using morphometric traits in pigs, and thus it is recommended that a quick appraisal of the Fore limp, Rump width and Neck length can give a fair estimate of the pig body weight.