Heritability estimates for sow prolapse
2019
Supakorn, China | Christianson, Marcie I. | Howard, Jeremy | Gray, Kent A. | Stalder, Kenneth J.
Vaginal and rectal prolapse incidence has been increasing in the U.S. commercial breeding sow population in recent years. This has resulted in increased sow breeding mortality rates in the U.S. due to both increased mortality and euthanasia. The objective of the present study was to estimate the potential role that genetics plays in the prolapse incidence of the U.S. commercial sow population. Data from 11,481 purebred Large White sows from two commercial farms were used in this study. Genetic parameters for prolapse incidence were estimated based on linear and threshold animal models utilizing AIREMLF90 and THRGIBBS1F90, respectively. Across both models, the fixed effects included contemporary group as year-month of removal and removal parity and a random effect was sow. A pedigree-based relationship matrix was included in the model. The highest prolapse incidence occurred in the 1st when compared to other parities. Heritability estimates for combined vaginal and rectal prolapse incidence were 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.003 ± 0.003 for the linear and threshold models, respectively. The results from this study indicate that there is very little if any genetic impact on the prolapse incidence. Pork producers should focus on the environmental effects contributing to reducing prolapse incidence.
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