Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T11:32:47.648Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic and phenotypic relationships between performance test and reproduction traits in Large White pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. C. Kerr  and
N. D. Cameron
J. C. Kerr
Affiliation:
Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
N. D. Cameron
Affiliation:
Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
Get access

Abstract

Genetic and phenotypic relationships between performance test and reproduction traits were estimated, after five generations of divergent selection for components of efficient lean growth, in a population of Large Wltite pigs. On ad-libitum feeding, a total of 4334 pigs were performance tested, of which 884 selected gilts had measurements of reproduction traits. On a restricted feeding regime, 1558 pigs were tested, which included 336 selected gilts with reproduction records. For pigs given food ad libitum, genetic correlations between litter weights at birth and weaning with daily food intake (0·48 and 0·42, s.e. 0·16) and with growth rate on test (0·65 and 0·52) were positive, but correlations with backfat depths were not significantly different from zero. For pigs given food at a restricted level, litter birth weight was positively genetically correlated with growth rate (0·50, s.e. 0·18) and negatively correlated with backfat depths (-0·48, s.e. 0·16). Phenotypic and environmental correlations between performance test and reproduction traits were all less than 0·10 in magnitude, for pigs tested on either feeding regime. The variation in backfat depth enabled detection of a non-linear relationship between predicted breeding values for litter weight at birth with predicted breeding values for average backfat depth of farrowing gilts performance tested on ad-libitum feeding, but not for gilts tested on restricted feeding. The positive genetic correlations between growth rate and daily food intake with litter traits suggested that selection strategies which change growth and daily food intake may result in relatively greater genetic changes in piglet growth rate than in litter size.

Keywords

genetic correlationlean growthpigsreproductionselection
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 62 , Issue 3 , June 1996 , pp. 531 - 540
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Cameron, N. D. 1994. Selection for components of efficient lean growth rate in pigs. 1. Selection pressure applied and direct responses in a Large White herd. Animal Production 59:251–262.Google Scholar
Cameron, N. D. and Curran, M. K. 1994. Selection for components of efficient lean growth rate in pigs. 4. Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates and correlated responses in performance test traits with ad-libitum feeding. Animal Production 59:281–292.Google Scholar
Cameron, N. D., Curran, M. K. and Kerr, J. C. 1994. Selection for components of efficient lean growth rate in pigs. 3. Responses to selection with a restricted feeding regime. Animal Production 59:271–280.Google Scholar
Cleveland, E. R., Johnson, R. K. and Cunningham, P. J. 1988. Correlated responses of carcass and reproductive traits to selection for rate of lean growth in swine. Journal of Animal Science 66:1371–1377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crump, R. E. 1992. Quantitative genetic analysis of a commercial pig population undergoing selection. Ph.D. thesis, Edinburgh University.Google Scholar
DeNise, R. S. K., Irvin, K. M., Swiger, L. A. and Plimpton, R. F. 1983. Selection for increased leanness of Yorkshire swine. IV. Indirect responses of the carcass, breeding efficiency and preweaning litter traits, journal of Animal Science 56:551–559.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fredeen, H. T. and Mikami, H. 1986. Mass selection in a pig population: correlated responses in reproductive performance, journal of Animal Science 62:1523–1532.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graser, H.-U., Smith, S. P. and Tier, B. 1987. A derivative-free approach for estimating variance components in animal models by restricted maximum likelihood, journal of Animal Science 64:1362–1370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johansson, K. and Kennedy, B. W. 1983. Genetic and phenotypic relationships of performance test measurements with fertility in Swedish Landrace and Yorkshire sows. Ada Agriculturae Scandinavica 33:195–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juga, J. and Thompson, R. 1992. A derivative-free algorithm to estimate bivariate (co)variance components using canonical transformations and estimated rotations. Ada Agriculturae Scandinavica 42:191–197.Google Scholar
Kerr, J. C. and Cameron, N. D. 1995. Reproductive performance of pigs selected for components of efficient lean growth. Animal Production 60:281–290.Google Scholar
Meyer, K. and Thompson, R. 1984. Bias in variance and covariance component estimators due to selection on a correlated trait, journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 101:33–50.Google Scholar
Rodriguez, C., Rodriganez, J. and Silio, L. 1994. Genetic analysis of maternal ability in Iberian pigs, journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 111:220–227.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rydhmer, L., Johansson, K., Stern, S. and Eliasson-Selling, L. 1992. A genetic study of pubertal age, litter traits, weight loss during lactation and relations to growth and leanness in gilts. Ada Agriculturae Scandinavica 42:211–219.Google Scholar
Rydhmer, L., Lundeheim, N. and Johansson, K. 1995. Genetic parameters for reproduction traits in sows and relations to performance-test measurements, journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 112:33–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Short, T. H., Wilson, E. R. and McLaren, D. G. 1994. Relationships between growth and litter traits in pig dam lines. Proceedings of the fifth world congress on genetics to livestock production, Guelph, vol. 17, pp.413–416.Google Scholar
Smith, S. P. and Graser, H. U. 1986. Estimating variance components in a class of mixed models by restricted maximum likelihood, journal of Dairy Science 69:1156–1165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sorensen, D. A. and Johansson, K. 1992. Estimation of direct and correlated responses to selection using univariate animal models, journal of Animal Science 70:2038–2044.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Takahashi, H., Christian, L. L., Rothschild, M. F., Harville, D. A. and Sugimoto, T. 1991. Estimates of inbreeding depression of growth an d backfat in Duroc pigs. Animal Science and Technology 62:323–329.Google Scholar
Thompson, R., Crump, R. E., Juga, J. and Visscher, P. 1995. Estimating variances and covariances for bivariate animal models using scaling and transformation. Genetics Selection Evolution 27:33–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vangen, O. 1980. Studies on a two trait selection experiment in pigs. v. Correlated responses in reproductive performance. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 30:309–319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar