Abstract:

The present study focuses on optimizing the breeding plan for an endangered Danish Landrace pigs. This original landrace pig breed (DL-1970) was until 1970 used for production of bacon, after which the breed was crossed with other landrace breeds. This study deals with the animals from DL-1970, which originates from the breed before crossing. Seven boars and 46 sows were available for selection. Optimum contribution selection (OCS) was applied to select boars and sows. Average relatedness between male candidates was 0.35, between female candidates 0.45 and between male and female candidates 0.39. Using OCS yielded lower inbreeding levels (0.141) compared to random mating (0.195). Due to the high level of relatedness between the animals and the very small population size it is recommended to use material from the gene bank to increase genetic variation in the future.