There are many stressors in a pig life. These include both social and environmental aspects and can have a negative affect on the immune system and health as well as performance, growth and meat quality of the pigs. Pig stress has a large impact to financial stress, but genetics may have a solution. There are several different genetic variations in pigs that lead to different stress responses. This means that it may be possible to select for pigs that are more stress resistant. Lower stress leads to less antibiotic use due to greater immunity, and may even affect feed efficiency. CRISPR-CAS genome editing can be used to transfer the natural genetic variants for stress tolerance into the breeding herd and avoid decades of selective breeding. This method is not the same as genetically modified technology (GMO) since there is no gene transfer or transgenics. This method for applying resistant genes can be used in many ways, with one having pigs that are more resistant to stress.
Worried About Pig Stress, Research Offers Reassurance (full article)
