REPRODUCTIVE QUALITIES OF SOWS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADAPTATION AND THE LEVEL OF THEIR PHENOTYPE CONSOLIDATION
Authors: Khalak V. І. 
Published: December 2022

Introduction. The intensification of the breeding process in pig breeding involves, along with the introduction of modern methods of assessing the breeding value of animals, the use of pigs of foreign breeding. At the same time, it is important to study their adaptive and productive qualities in the conditions of industrial maintenance technology and the steppe zone of Ukraine (Topikha V. S., 2009, Khalak V. I., 2009, 2020, 2022, Kislyns’ka A. I. and others, 2012, Dudka O. I., 2020). The paper presents the results of the study of the reproductive qualities of sows of super-adaptive and minus-adaptive types, as well as the coefficients of phenotypic consolidation (К1, К2) of the main traits and the economic efficiency of the use of animals in experimental groups are calculated. The research was carried out in the agricultural formations of the Dnipropetrovsk region and the animal husbandry laboratory of the State Institution "Institute of Grain Crops of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine". The work was carried out in accordance with the program of scientific research № 31 "Genetic improvement of agricultural animals, their reproduction and preservation of biodiversity (Genetics, preservation and reproduction of biological resources in animal husbandry)", the task – "Determine adaptive features and the nature of inheritance of polygenic and hereditary traits of pigs of different genotypes and develop an integrated a system of creating a highly productive population".

Materials and methods of research. The object of the study were sows of the large white breed of Hungarian origin. Based on the results of own research and data of primary zootechnical records (form 2-SV "Card of breeding sow", form 4-SV "Accounting journal of mating (insemination) of pig breeding stock", form 5-SV "Accounting journal of farrowings of sows and offspring piglets" (Instructions on the grading of pigs, 2003) the following quantitative characteristics were investigated: sow life expectancy, months; duration of breeding use of the sow, months; farrowings obtained; total live piglets obtained, head; fertility, head; nest weight at the time of weaning at the age of 30 days, kg, preservation of piglets until weaning, %.

A comprehensive evaluation of sows for reproductive qualities was carried out according to M. D. Berezovsky’s index (cited by P. A. Vashchenko, 2019), the “level of adaptation” index was calculated according to the method of V. S. Smirnov (2003), phenotypic consolidation coefficients (К1, К2) of the main quantitative characteristics - according to the methods – by Yu. P. Polupan (1996, 2005). Biometric processing of research results was carried out according to the methods of V. P. Kovalenko. etc. (2010).

Research results. It was established that the life expectancy of sows of the controlled population is 50.1 months (Сv = 35.97%), the duration of breeding use is 40.9 months (Сv = 42.24%), the "adaptation level" index is 10.56 points (Сv = 32.77%). During the breeding period, sows produced 7.0 farrowings (Сv = 44.10%), a total of 77.8 live piglets (Сv = 46.46%). The average rate of multiple fertility is 11.1 piglets per farrowing (Сv = 10.08%), the weight of the litter at the time of weaning at the age of 30 days is 76.1 kg (Сv = 14.10%), the weight of the nest at the time of weaning at the age 60 days – 181.5 kg (Сv = 9.35%), survival of piglets before weaning – 91.6 ± 0.50%. The index of M. D. Berezovs’ky in sows of the controlled population ranges from 33.00 to 50.83 points. Taking into account the intrabreed differentiation of sows according to the type of adaptation, it was established that animals of the super-adaptive type prevailed over the animals of the minus-adaptive type in terms of life expectancy, duration of breeding use, total farrowings, total live piglets, fertility and litter weight at the time of weaning at the age of 30 days by an average of 37.96%. Coefficients of pair correlation between traits characterizing the level of adaptation of sows and their reproductive qualities range from –0.704 to +0.982. Coefficients of phenotypic consolidation of reproductive qualities of sows of different types of adaptation range from –0.082 to +0.682.

Conclusions. Studies show that sows of the super-adaptive type (the "adaptation level" index ranges from 5.48 to 8.20 points) outweigh the animals of the controlled population by litter weight at the time of weaning at the age of 30 days +4.63%. The cost of additional products obtained from the sow of the specified group is UAH 125.52.