Comparison of Productivity and Performance for Two-Breed and Three-Breed Crosses in Swine

The breeding performance and subsequent productivity and progeny performance of 835 purebred and two-breed cross Duroc, Hampshire and Yorkshire females were analyzed to compare the productivity of purebred and crossbred females and the performance of two-breed and three-breed cross pigs. A total of 406 purebred and 429 crossbred females were saved for breeding with 148 purebred and 194 crossbred gilts slaughtered 30 days postbreeding. Litter productivity was measured on 193 two-breed and 199 three-breed cross litters. Growth and feed efficiency data included 1,246 two-breed and 1,599 three-breed cross barrows and gilts and carcass merit was evaluated on 252 two-breed and 261 three-breed cross barrows. Conception rate and ovulation rate of purebred and crossbred females were very similar. However, crossbred gilts slaughtered 30 days postbreeding had .71 ± .38 more embryos per gilt. These gilts were also 5.8 ± 1.4 days younger at 100 kg and 11.7 ± 2.1 days younger at breeding than purebred gilts. Crossbred females farrowed .93 ± .32 and weaned 1.24 ± .27 more pigs per litter than purebred females. Survival rate of three-breed cross pigs was significantly higher than two-breed crosses, both early in gestation and from birth to weaning. Total litter weight weaned was 19.6% heavier for crossbred females with three-breed cross litters than for purebred females with two-breed cross litters. There was very little difference between two-breed and three-breed cross pigs for growth rate, feed efficiency, probe backfat or carcass merit.