Comprehensive evaluation of pig breeding herds of Yorkshire breed on development and productivity in the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

The purpose of the work was a comprehensive evaluation of breeding herds of pigs of Yorkshire breed for development and productivity in the Republic of Belarus. It has been found as a result of the research that the growth and development of Yorkshire boars at the age of 36 months the best results in animals bred in the State Enterprise “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita” and in the Center for Breeding and Genetics in pig breeding RUAE “Grodnenskoe plempredpriyatie” have been shown (live weight was 302 and 303 kg, body length was 184–186,2 cm, which was 12–19,9 kg and 2,2–8,2 cm higher compared to animals of other breeding enterprises). The evaluation of the quality of sperm production on average has shown that the volume of ejaculate was 393,3 ml, the concentration of sperm was 618 million/ml, and the mobility of sperm was 8,62 points. The average percentage of fertility rate by actual farrowing was 89,5 %. When studying the productive traits of sows of Yorkshire breed in basic breeding enterprises, the animals bred in ZAO “Vitebskagroproduct” were distinguished by the best indicator of prolificacy(14,4 heads). In terms of milk producing ability the highest indicator was observed in animals bred in ZAO “Vitsebskagroproduct” and Collective Farming Unitary Enterprise “Chernyakhovsky-Agro” (63,4–68,2 kg), which was 15,1–23,7 % higher than in sows in State Enterprise “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita”. Piglets obtained at Collective Farming Unitary Enterprise “ChernyakhovskyAgro” and State Enterprise “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita” were distinguished by a high weight of one piglet at weaning in comparison with piglets on average in breed. When evaluation the indicators of their own productivity of breeding animals, the following average values were established: the age of reaching a live weight of 100 kg was 176,5 days, the average daily gain in live weight from birth to reaching the live weight of 100 kg was 559,7 g. The best indicators were the young animals reared in the State Enterprise “ZhodinoAgroPlemElita”. Thus, the age of reaching the live weight of 100 kg here was 7,0–9,4 days higher or 3,93–5,73 % than in young animals of other farms.