Pig Welfare and Genetic Improvement: Breeding for Welfare Traits

Overview of integrating welfare traits into pig breeding programmes and selection criteria.

Key Facts

Breeding goals have historically focused on growth rate, feed efficiency, and lean yield
Welfare traits including leg strength, temperament, and disease resistance are being added
Genomic selection enables faster incorporation of welfare traits into breeding programmes
Mother ability and piglet survival are welfare traits with breeding value
Swedish and Finnish breeding programmes have led on welfare trait integration

Welfare Considerations

Pig genetic improvement for welfare requires integrating welfare traits into breeding evaluation and selection alongside production traits. Historically, intense selection for production traits has created welfare problems in modern commercial breeds. Genomic selection now enables faster progress on welfare traits including leg conformation, disease resistance, and temperament. Leading breeding programmes in Scandinavia have demonstrated that welfare traits can be successfully incorporated without compromising production performance.

What You Can Do

Support animal breeding organisations integrating welfare traits into evaluation
Advocate for welfare trait weighting in national pig breeding programme objectives
Follow research on genomic selection for pig welfare trait improvement