Methods for increasing genetic progress in a line or breed of swine using sex-selected sperm cells

摘要

The invention relates to methods of increasing the genetic progress of a line, breed or herd of swine through the use of sex-selected sperm cells in artificial insemination techniques. The invention also encompasses methods of artificially inseminating a swine via deep intrauterine catheter or via a laparoscopic procedure, which allow the use of reduced doses of sex-selected sperm cells.

主权项

1. A method of increasing the genetic progress of a line or breed of swine within a genetic nucleus comprising the steps of:
providing a boar and a sow from a genetic nucleus, wherein said boar and said sow are from a line or breed within the genetic nucleus and wherein the line or breed of said boar and said sow are the same line or breed; collecting a semen sample from said boar; sorting said semen sample into at least two subpopulations of sperm cells, wherein at least 80% of a first subpopulation bears X-chromosomes or Y-chromosomes; inseminating the sow with sperm cells from said first subpopulation to produce offspring from said sow; providing a selection index; calculating the selection index for one or more of said offspring; calculating an average of the selection index for said line or breed within the genetic nucleus; and breeding said one or more of said offspring with other swine in the line or breed of said boar and said sow within the genetic nucleus when the selection index for one or more of said offspring is greater than the average of the selection index for said line or breed within the genetic nucleus, thereby increasing the genetic progress of a line or breed of swine in the genetic nucleus.