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Comparisons of Specific Crosses from Duroc-Landrace, Spot-Landrace and Hampshire-Landrace Sows¹

Auburn University, AL 36849

Abstract

One hundred and six Duroc-Landrace, Spot-Landrace and Hampshire-Landrace sows were randomly mated to purebred Duroc, Spot or Hampshire boars, and the effects of sire breed, dam breed and their interaction on preweaning and postweaning performance of the pigs and litters (n = 274) were examined. Sire breed did not have a significant effect on any of the preweaning litter size, litter weight and pig weight traits studied. However, Duroc-sired pigs grew faster postweaning (P<.01), took fewer days to reach 100 kg (P<.05), consumed less feed per day (P<.01) and converted feed to gain more efficiently (P<.01) than the average of the Hampshire-and Spot-sired pigs. Hampshire-sired pigs had a more desirable feed conversion (P<.01) and smaller daily appetites (P<.01) than Spot-sired pigs. Litters out of Hampshire-Landrace and Duroc-Landrace sows were larger at 21 d (P<.10) and heavier at 21 (P<.05) and 42 d (P<.10) than Spot-Landrace litters. Pigs out of Hampshire-Landrace sows were heavier at 21 (P<.01) and 42 d (P<.05) than pigs out of Duroc-Landrace sows. No other significant differences were noted among the three dam breeds. Litters of three-breed-cross pigs were .83 pigs larger at birth, with .6 more pigs born alive, and .63 pigs larger at 21 and 42 d, respectively, than litters of backcross pigs. The three-breed-cross litters were 1.0, 3.7 and 7.5 kg heavier than the backcross litters at birth, 21 and 42 d, respectively. No differences existed between the three-breed-cross and the backcross pigs in individual pig weights. However, three-breed-cross pigs gained .026 kg/d more and took 6.1 d less to reach 100 kg than the back-cross pigs. The cross that maximized preweaning and postweaning performance was Duroc boars mated to Hampshire-Landrace sows.

¹ Contribution from the Alabama Agr. Exp. Sta., Journal Ser. No. 4-810061.

² Dept. of Anim. and Dairy Sci.

³ Present address: Dept. of Anim. Sci., Texas A&M Univ., College Station.

⁴ Lower Coastal Plain Substation, Alabama Agr. Exp. Sta.