Does the Walloon Piétrain pig breed require preservation measures?

Piétrain pigs are used worldwide as terminal sires, and they are not expected to require preservation measures. However, the number of pure Piétrain breeders is dwindling everywhere and also in Wallonia (southern Belgium), the region where the breed is originated from. As a first step, the objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity in Walloon Piétrain pig populations by using pedigree information. A total of 199 boars, whose breeders could be identified and which passed through performances testing using crossbred progeny at the performances recording station during the last t... Mehr ...