Marker assisted selection in opposite directions in sire and dam lines
Specific inheritance
Unique inheritance method: paternal imprinting
- Only the gene inherited from the father is expressed
- The gene inherited from the mother is a silent gene and has no effect on the carcass quality of the offspring
Leanness
- BETTERgen®muscle+ (=IGF2+) increases muscle mass at the expense of back fat: on average 2-4% more lean meat
- Effect on leanness is of the same magnitude of this reported for the Halothane gene but without any of the well-known deleterious effects on meat quality and animal health
Uniformity
- Homozygous positive terminal sires (IGF2+/IGF2+) will pass the full effect to the slaughter pigs, regardless of the genotype of the mother
- BETTERgen®muscle+ (=IGF2+) offers the possibility to push a far higher proportion of lower grading pigs into the higher payment categories.
Effect on prolificacy and longevity
- Recent research by the company shows that parent sows benefit from inheriting the negative gene (igf2-) from their father: they are more prolific and have an increased longevity
- Parent sows are fatter but this will have no effect on the carcass quality of the slaughter pig.
