Morphogenetic and age features of pigs of different directions of productivity

Abstract

Pig breeding genetic resources are constantly threatened by haphazard crossbreeding, lack of breeding strategy and programs, violation of quarantine measures and weak protection against infectious diseases. The state of the gene pool is influenced by such factors as the intensification of production, the replacement of domestic breeds with more productive foreign ones, without taking into account forage, climatic and environmental conditions.The development of pig breeding is based on the use of highly productive breeds and types of pigs in the breeding process, as well as the latest achievements in breeding and genetics. Modern technologies for the production of pork make it possible to maximize the genetic potential of animals, in connection with which selection is a decisive factor in increasing the productivity of pigs.Given the importance of working with breeds as the main means of production in pig breeding, the authors set the goal of providing a scientifically based assessment of the genotypes of pigs that are bred and widely used in the country.The tasks set in the scientific work were solved using zootechnical (scientific and economic experience, control slaughter of animals, analysis of the reproductive capacity of sows, growth of young stock, assessment of the quality of carcasses), morphological and biochemical parameters of the blood of animals.The large white breed of pigs in Ukraine is a monobreed, having more than 70% of the total number. This dominance raises concerns about the possible loss of original hereditary complexes and gene associations that have developed during the breeding process. Five international breeds are now widespread in the world: Large White (117 countries), Duroc (93 countries), Landrace (91 countries), Hampshire (54 countries) and Pietrain (35 countries).Pigs of the Large White breed are universal and are widely used in selection and breeding work for the purpose of the parent breed in crossing.Among the meat breeds of pigs in Ukraine, the Landrace breed occupies an important place, which is appropriate both in purebred breeding and in crossing and hybridization.The Mirgorodskaya breed of pigs of the greasy direction of productivity was bred by the method of complex reproductive crossing of local short-eared black-andwhite pigs with Berkshires, medium, large white breed of pigs and, to a lesser extent, with large black and Tamworth's. Improvement of the breed is carried out at the expense of boars of foreign and domestic selection, in particular, pietrain, Belarusian black and white, large black breed. A prerequisite for preserving the gene pool of local breeds is pure-bred breeding with an outbred type of selection.