About 1,700 breeding hogs died in a fire at the DanBred North America facility near Beiseker, Alta., on Sept. 29.
About 50 hogs were saved, but had to be killed later, said company spokesperson Grant McCormick.
The Danish bred pigs were part of the terminal sire line created by the Canadian division in Lacombe.
Cause of the fire is still under investigation and McCormick did not know if the facility would be rebuilt. DanBred was renting the farm located 90 kilometres north of Calgary.
The animals included sows and their offspring as well as a line of specialty boars that were ready for shipment to breeders.
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The company’s artificial insemination unit is at a different location.
“Our supply is uninterrupted and we’re working diligently to rebuild,” McCormick said.
The company has a sister unit in the United States where the same line of boars is available for breeding stock.
“The U.S. nucleus farm will help us through and supply us with boars and replacement stock,” McCormick said.
The Danish swine genetics program was a partnership between Danbred North America and Rocky Mountain Pork.
The goal was to develop a leaner market hog based on Danish breeding principles.
