Selecting Breeder Sows

When selecting breeder sows on the basis of physical appearance, consider the following:

• The gilt should have well-developed udder with a minimum of six pairs of properly spaced function teats. A sow with poor udder development is likely to have poor milking capacity.
• Choose those which do not have inverted teats for such teats are inherited and do not secrete milk.
• A long body is more desirable in sows because it provides more space for udder development.
  
• The body should have uniform width from front to rear.
• Good development of the ham, loin and shoulder is required of a breeding animal.
• Must have sound and well-placed feet and legs. Animals with medium short feet and short upright pasterns are preferable.
• Make it a point to select the biggest animals within a litter.
• Female breeders should come from a litter of eight or more good-sized piglets with high survivability.
• Do not keep gilts that come from sows in which agalactia (failure to secrete milk) have been observed.
• Select vigorous and hardy pigs from a healthy litter in a herd raised under good swine sanitation.
  
• Do not keep gilts or boars from lifters that have physical abnormalities. These may be inherited.

Most of the factors in the selection of gilt or sow also apply in the selection of a boar. However, the following pointers should also be considered:

• Masculinity, both in appearance and action, should predominate in the make-up of any boar.
• The primary sex organs should be clearly visible and be well-developed. Select only those boars whose testicles are of equal size.
• Select a boar which has been proven and tested for boars with traits that can overcome the defects of the herd. Minor defects in the boar may be ignored provided that they are not present among the sows.