JSR Genetics develops new sire line

International pig breeding business JSR Genetics has developed a new sire line which has been bred to provide producers with progeny that the breeder claims are up to three days faster to finish than its rivals.
The new JSR Geneconverter 800m boar will be available internationally in May, following the 2012 British Pig & Poultry Fair, where customers will be able to see the new boar and get all the breeding data. The new boar has been developed in response to direct customer demand in various parts of the world, including the UK, according to JSR's managing director Grant Walling. “We enjoy very close links with our customers and have become aware that faster growth and reducing days to slaughter is a real priority that’s not being adequately met for some,” said Walling.
The company used its global genetic library, as well as various breeding programs, to develop the new sire line with an emphasis on post-weaning growth. “We have been able to focus on providing new genetics that we believe will provide these much-needed traits for producers," said Stephen Waite, who is head of science at JSR. "Interestingly, it was by looking at the early growth stages, often neglected, that we have been able to achieve such remarkable results. We now have a new, very exciting boar that is exceptionally fast-growing. The animals that we are selecting from on our nucleus farms are consistently exhibiting exceptional growth.”