EVALUATION OF SOME PRODUCTIVE TRAITS
IN BREEDS LARGE WHITE AND DUROC
Fidel Gjurgji1, Arjan Shumeli1, Luan Hajno2, Vilson Bozgo1
1Departament of Animal Production at Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania
2Agriculture Technology Transfer Center, Fushe-Kruje, Albania
fidelgj@yahoo.com
For the purposes of the current study 10 sows belonging to two populations including the breeds Large White and Duroc have been respectively analyzed. The traits looked at closely include born alive per litter, the litter size and the average daily gain. In the case of the Large White the difference measured in days between the two parities was roughly 148 days and litters/sows/year 2.4, while in the Duroc breed it is roughly 163 days or 15 days more, and lit-ter/sows/year 2.2. The litter size was 11.8 piglets per litter per the Large White breed against the 9.7 that the Duroc breed yields or 2.1 piglets more. This difference or change is easily noticed during the lactation period until the 28th day. The amount of milk yielded from the Large White sows from the parity number 1 is 67.2 kg, while that from the Duroc sows is 55 kg. The litter size of the Large White breed from the first parity to the second grows by 0.8 and from the second parity to the third by 1.4 piglets. The study reveals that the average weight of piglets at birth is 1460 gram for the Large White and 1320 gram for the Duroc respectively. This difference is seen during the lactation period until the 28-day. The average weight of piglets for the Large White reaches 7.3 kg, while for the Duroc is 6.9 kg. From this age onward the Duroc displays advantages for this indicator when compared with the Large White. The study also indicates that the Large White is known for a litter of large size at birth and a better growth rate until the age of 28 days. The Duroc breed shows a high growth rate and this trait is passed down to the next-generation. The two populations indicate variability for each distinct trait, which creates a possibility for a better selection.
Keywords: breed; piglets; litter size; litters/sows/year; lactation; average daily gain
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