INDEX CALCULATION

To continuously improve our animals, we rate them based on their genetic potential with an index specifically designed by Danish Genetics. The index is an “individual grade” based on specific qualities, which helps us choose the parents of the next generations and pass on the desired traits to their offspring.

In practice, by observing the animals’ characteristics and results, we gather phenotypic data – general health, leg positions, growth, efficiency, litter size, backfat, and more – and we estimate the possibilities of genes transmission. Additionally, we also aim to determine as precisely as possible which characteristics are influenced by genes and which are influenced by the environment.

The animals’ characteristics are measured in different types of units. For example, the animals’ growth is measured in g/day, while their fertility is based on a precise number of piglets. We need to combine all the characteristics to gather them in a same equation by defining a common denominator. Each characteristic is multiplied by its’ importance, as Danish Genetics assigns – and reevaluates – a unique weight, or „coefficient“, to each characteristic, based on our bio-economical model, developed together with Abacus bio.

After complex calculations and computing, this gives us the index and we can breed accordingly.