End September 2018, the first boars were CT scanned at the Delta Canada research center. These boars are the fastest growers from the first cohort of TN Tempo boars housed in this new Topigs Norsvin facility in Woodlands Manitoba, Canada. The CT scanning of these boars marks an important step in Topigs Norsvin’s breeding program. From now on, about 8,500 boars per year will be CT scanned; 5,000 at Delta Canada and 3,500 at Delta Norway.
CT scanning is the next-generation phenotyping tool and offers a wealth of opportunities for breeding companies. Topigs Norsvin is the first company to use CT scanning on this scale. With CT scanning, skeleton structure and carcass composition can be improved faster and with greater accuracy. This means higher genetic progress and the possibility to breed for traits that were previously difficult or impossible to breed for.
The first CT scanned boars will be shipped to customers in North America and the rest of the world over the next few weeks.
