Farm Animals

Pig Genetic Welfare and Breed Selection

Genetic selection in pigs has prioritised production traits at the expense of welfare-relevant traits, with modern programmes increasingly incorporating welfare into breeding objectives.

Key Facts

Commercial pig breeds have been selected for lean growth, litter size, and feed conversion
Increased litter size has outpaced sow milk production, creating neonatal competition and mortality
Some breeds have genetic predispositions to stress syndrome and tail biting susceptibility
Breeds including Duroc crosses show better natural behaviour and disease resistance
The UK's National Pig Improvement Programme is incorporating welfare traits including leg quality

Welfare Considerations

Genetic selection choices made decades ago are driving current welfare problems. Incorporating welfare traits into breeding objectives can drive long-term system-wide improvements.

What You Can Do

Support breeding companies publicly committed to welfare-trait inclusion
Advocate for mandatory welfare trait reporting in national pig breeding programmes
Raise awareness of how genetics underpins many persistent pig welfare problems
Support research into genetic markers for welfare-relevant traits