PigLeg: prediction of swine phenotype using machine learning

Abstract

Industrial pig farming is associated with negative technological pressure on the bodies of pigs. Leg weakness and lameness are the sources of significant economic loss in raising pigs. Therefore, it is important to identify the predictors of limb condition. This work presents assessments of the state of limbs using indicators of growth and meat characteristics of pigs based on machine learning algorithms. We have evaluated and compared the accuracy of prediction for nine ML classification algorithms (Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, Artificial Neural Networks, C50Tree, Support Vector Machines, Naive Bayes, Generalized Linear Models, Boost, and Linear Discriminant Analysis) and have identified the Random Forest and K-Nearest Neighbors as the best-performing algorithms for predicting pig leg weakness using a small set of simple measurements that can be taken at an early stage of animal development. Measurements of Muscle Thickness, Back Fat amount, and Average Daily Gain were found to be significant predictors of the conformation of pig limbs. Our work demonstrates the utility and relative ease of using machine learning algorithms to assess the state of limbs in pigs based on growth rate and meat characteristics.