Fast Genetics commitment to ongoing research and development will help our customers improve production efficiency and product quality in a competitive and consumer oriented market place.

Our commitment is to aid our clients in becoming the most efficient, least-cost producers in North America.

Fast Genetics research:

We maintain an active research and development program using our nucleus herds, a 1,200 sow dedicated commercial research barn, 2 commercial research grow finish facilities and contract research with universities and the Canadian Center for Swine Improvement. Research is currently underway in these areas:

Ovulation rates and embryo survival in hyper-prolific dam lines
Litter size and birth weight effects on piglet survival, growth and carcass characteristics
Disease resistance
Carcass and meat quality indicators
Growth and feed efficiency interactions by genotype
Optimizing nutritional and management requirements of Fast genotypes
Selection methods for feet and leg soundness, longevity of sows, survival to market weight
Research and development allows Fast Genetics to be leaders in pig production profitability!

Selection and Genetic Improvement

Our genetic improvement program is based on a combination of BLUP genetic evaluations for important quantitative traits, use of genetic markers and visual evaluations for traits such as soundness and underline. Genetic evaluations for over 15 traits in the areas of prolificacy, mothering ability, growth, carcass yield, meat quality and conformation. All Fast dam line and sire line pigs are halothane negative. All Fast Duroc boars are homozygous for the lean allele of the IGF2 gene. All lines are negative for the RN meat quality mutation.

Rapid generation turnover and intense selection on economically important traits are the cornerstones of our genetic improvement program. Nucleus sows are replaced when there is a more advanced gilt available, with most kept for 2 or 3 litters in the nucleus. Litter records from pure line sows in multiplication are used to improve accuracy for dam line traits. Boars are sampled on a carefully designed plan, then turned over to multiplier production or sale. EBV's are generated on the farm for immediate selection. All ultrasound technicians are tested and certified annually under the rules of the Canadian Swine Improvement Program and receive ongoing training in conformation evaluation and data recording.