The Meishan pig breed, prized for exceptional maternal behavior and prolificacy, offers lessons in how genetic selection can improve welfare outcomes in commercial pig production.
The Meishan example demonstrates that breed selection is a powerful, underutilized tool for welfare improvement. Conventional commercial pig breeding has selected intensively for growth rate, feed conversion, and muscle yield — traits that often correlate with increased stress reactivity and reduced maternal competence. Meishan genetics offer a counterpoint: selection for temperament and maternal behavior can produce animals better adapted to social interaction, less prone to fear-based aggression, and more competent at rearing offspring. This is a proof of concept that welfare-positive traits and productivity can be bred toward simultaneously.