The breeding is the reason for producing healthy pigs that grow quickly and well, have many young pigs and have a good meat quality. Danish pig production has the common breeding system "DanBred" which organises the activities by constantly improving these and other aspects.

Danish pig production is based on three breeds: Danish Lantras, Danish Yorkshire and Danish Duroc. They are cross-bred in various ways in the production of slaughter pigs in order to combine the good characteristics of the different breeds. Breeding animals are produced in separate breeding populations where the farmers can buy animals for their own production or in the form of semen for insemination of sows.

Most slaughter pigs are cross-breeds between these three breeds. Lantras and Yorkshire constitute a part of most of the cross-breeds as female animals whereas the hogs are Durocs.

Danish Lantras (L)

• The sows have large litters and good maternal instincts.
• It is strong and has good legs.
• The Lantras is quite meaty (high meat percentage) and provides a good meat quality.
• Due to these characteristics, the Lantras is used in particular as the female animal (sows) for cross-breed sows together with the Yorkshire for the production of slaughter pigs.

Danish Yorkshire (Y)

• This breed originates from the UK.
• It has a high meat percentage, a high body weight gain and a good meat quality.
• The sows have big litters and good maternal instincts and is therefore used in particular as female animals (sows) for cross-breed sows with Lantras.

Danish Duroc (D)

• Originates from the US and Canada.
• Is red-brown with dark bristles.
• The sows have smaller litters than Lantras and Yorkshire, but the pigs have a good body weight gain and a low fodder consumption.
• Also provides a good meat quality, i.e. because the meat has a fine marbling.
• The Duroc is used as boars.

You can find further information about"DanBred"here