Bioscientifica Proceedings

Summary. This paper attempts to summarize and discuss the new evidence on the effectiveness of selection for prolificacy. In recent years selection between lines, and the adoption of formal cross-breeding programmes, have led to considerable improvements at a commercial level. Within-line selection has not been tackled seriously except in a few experiments. The mainly negative results from these should not lead to the conclusion that progress is impossibl...

© 1985 Journals of Reproduction & Fertility Ltd...

Summary. Prolificacy, defined as litter size at birth, is currently considered to be the most important component of sow productivity. However, in spite of a spectacular increase in productivity due to management advances, litter size at birth has remained constant for the past 20 years. This situation seems to question the long-term efficiency of the classical methods of genetic improvement such as within-herd selection and crossbreeding between European...