Genetic parameters for mesenteric torsion in a pig maternal line

Abstract

Mesenteric torsion (MT) is a condition characterized by the twisting of intestinal loops, leading to a disruption in blood flow and abdominal distension. Several factors can predispose animals to this condition, which primarily affects healthy, fast-growing pigs and often results in fatal outcomes. Given the absence of studies on the genetic factors associated with this condition, our research aimed to estimate the heritability coefficient for MT and explore the genetic correlations between MT and performance traits in pigs. Our dataset comprised of 43,384 records of pigs from a maternal line from a nucleus farm. These pigs were born between 2010 and 2022 and had recorded information regarding MT status (0 for healthy and 1 for affected animals), weaning weight (WW), as well as pedigree, genotypes, and genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) for the following traits: MT status, days to reach 110 kg (D110), feed conversion adjusted to 110 kg (FC110), and backfat thickness adjusted to 110 kg (BT110). In our statistical model, the effects of contemporary group (CG: sex, year, and week of weaning) and the linear covariate WW were considered fixed effects, while the direct additive genetic effect was accounted as random. On average, pigs affected by MT had an age of 104.35 ± 37.75 days, and the condition had an overall herd frequency of 2.46 %. Mesenteric torsion occurred more frequently in female pigs raised in collective pens compared to non-castrated males raised in individual pens. Heritability estimates for MT, using both pedigree (0.13 ± 0.02) and genomic (0.12 ± 0.02) data, were of low magnitude. This suggests that while there is genetic variability associated with MT, a significant portion of this variation is due to environmental variance. The correlation between MT and BT110 GEBVs was of low magnitude (0.05). In contrast, the correlations between GEBVs for MT and both D110 and FC110 were moderate in magnitude (0.22 for both traits). This implies that pigs taking longer to reach 110 kg and those with poorer feed conversion are more likely to develop MT. There is genetic variability for mesenteric torsion in pigs. Selection aimed at improving feed conversion and reducing the age at which pigs reach 110 kg could lead to a decrease in the occurrence of MT within pig populations.