Farm Animals

Pig Breeding Program Welfare Considerations

How pig breeding programs balance productivity selection with welfare traits, and the importance of including welfare in genetic selection.

Key Facts

Modern pig genetics prioritize growth rate, litter size, and feed efficiency
Selection for hyperprolificacy has outpaced selection for maternal behavior and neonatal viability
Genetic companies are increasingly including welfare traits including leg strength in selection indices
Genomic selection allows faster identification of welfare-relevant genetic variants
Including welfare traits in economic indices requires assigning financial value to welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

The genetic decisions made by pig breeding companies propagate throughout global production systems. Failing to include welfare traits in selection indices means that welfare is systematically sacrificed for productivity generation after generation.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory inclusion of welfare traits in pig breed registration standards
Support research into the genetic basis of welfare-relevant pig characteristics
Engage with public consultations on farm animal genetic selection regulation