The zig-zag crossbreeding strategy is carried out with two breeds. For sow production, the breeding basis must be DanBred Landrace and DanBred Yorkshire.
There is no nucleus herd with crossbreeding, but the sows and young animals with the highest index values are used for further breeding. This results from the overview of the herd and gilts, which must therefore be updated continuously.
Thus a strategy is introduced where sows of breed B are allocated with boars of breed A. Sows are then selected from the crossbreeding offspring (AB) that are allocated with boars of the non-father breed – i.e. breed B. The system is continued in this way, whereby boars of breed A and breed B are used alternately for the next generation. The advantage of this zig-zag crossbreeding strategy is a larger potential for selection, however only 2/3 of the fertility performance is achieved if this zig-zag herd is balanced.
