CEFN CLOSED IN-HOUSE NUCLEUS (CIN)
 

Cefn Genetics is now able to supply it’s Cefn In-house Nucleus (CIN) breeding program to producers in Australia. The program has proven to be hugely successful since its introduction over the past five years.

 The CEFN concept is based on the triple benefits of reducing disease risks on farms, with the genetic progress made by using CEFN PigBLUP program, and reducing costs. Bio-security is one of the major concerns of large farming operations. Entry of new breeding stock always presents a risk to the health status, even when all possible precautions are taken.

The CIN concept enables producers to upkeep a genetic level, without the need for entry of animals. A one-time entry of top genetic gilts is supplied to start the program. After that, only semen is brought onto the farm. It allows cost savings as multiplier premiums can be passed onto the producer and there are no pig freight costs.

In CIN herds, a complete crossbreeding scheme is applied, yielding a two-way female cross hybrid sow. Dam Line Great Grand Parent Sows (GGP) are mated pure to produce the next generation. Great Grand and Grand parents, Grand Parent-sows (GP) are mated using semen from the top ranked females to produce hybrid Parent Stock (F1’s), Parent Stock sows are inseminated with semen from the higher ranked AI Meatmaster boar lines to produce the Commercial Slaughter Pigs.

Individuals performance data is collected on the farms and is entered into sow management recording system weekly to the central breeding database managed by CEFN’s own Geneticist based in Queensland. This data links the local herd with the central nucleus herds and other CIN and multiplication herds in order to calculate BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) breeding values with the PigBLUP system. As a result, highly accurate breeding values are available allowing accurate selection of animals for the next generation.

Through the CEFN program producers have access to the best available purebred maternal sires from the AI Centres. The program starts with high health animals and guarantees higher performance and lower than average losses combined with lower veterinarian costs. The producers benefit from regular technical support visits and benchmark comparisons against other producers within the system. This tool enables them to steer their program and make tailor-made final products.

Generating maximum technical performance and reducing the cost of production due to access to top genetics is a key advantage of the CIN concept. Another advantage of the CIN is that  when compared to the investments required for conventional replacement systems producers do not need to regularly purchase breeding stock. This reduces the high veterinarian cost due to disease risks and also reduces poor performance due to lower health status. With the CIN producers don’t experience the conventional delay in dissemination of genetic superiority from GGP to F1 level.