Producers can now access top Danish pig genetics

British and Irish pig producers can now access high-index Danish genetics from the UK’s newest AI stud. Semen is available for all DanBred International (DBI) dam and sire lines from its dedicated quality-assured, European-approved and certified AI centre in East Anglia. It is the only UK AI stud licensed to sell DanBred genetics in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The stud is part of DBI’s newly-established UK agency, which is now supplying British-produced breeding stock and semen to the UK pig industry.

It offers three genotypes: the prolific Danish Landrace and Yorkshire dam line boars, which are used to produce the highly prolific DanHybrid gilt; and the proven high-meat-yielding Danish Duroc, the only terminal sire used in Denmark.

Both of the dam lines have been precisely selected for their superior maternal traits and have exceptional breeding performance, longevity, consistent productivity and good litter sizes. The Danish Landrace is also proven to offer supreme meat quality and prolificacy, while the Yorkshire offers leanness along with excellent dam line traits.

The Danish Duroc is renowned for its high-quality carcass and meat eating qualities. It is the only terminal sire used in Danish pigmeat production and DanBred’s defined selection criteria and stringent performance testing programme has produced a highly-efficient, high lean meat production terminal boar with exceptional growth rates, FCR, and high carcass values. Average growth rates from 30-100kg liveweight are 969g/day with a typical FCR of 2.32. Carcass lean meat percentage averages 60.1%

Simon Guise, development manager for DBI UK said there were considerable differences between Danish and UK genetics. “On average, Danish herds produce 500kg more pigmeat a sow a year than UK herds. The genotypes used and breeding programme implemented by this industry have played an integral role in optimising productivity, performance and carcass quality,” he said.