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Genetic parameters of lamb carcase composition at three endpoints; age, weight and fat cover.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

G.E. Pollott ,
D.R. Guy  and
D. Croston
G.E. Pollott
Affiliation:
Wye College-University of London, Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH)
D.R. Guy
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, P.O. Box 44, Winterhill, Milton Keynes, MK6 1 AX).
D. Croston
Affiliation:
Meat and Livestock Commission, P.O. Box 44, Winterhill, Milton Keynes, MK6 1 AX).
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Extract

The common point at which lambs are compared is an important aspect of selection programmes for lamb carcase composition. Terminal sire flocks in the Meat and Livestock Commission's (MLC) Sheepbreeder scheme have an estimated breeding value for lean meat production calculated on their lambs at a fixed age, 20 or 21 weeks depending on the breed. However, lambs sold for slaughter from commercial flocks are killed at a commercially acceptable fat cover. In addition, many of the estimates of genetic parameters used to estimate breeding values for carcase characteristics have been calculated at a fixed weight. Little information is available on the relationship between genetic parameters calculated at these three endpoints or the effect of selecting lambs at one endpoint in breeding programmes and using a second endpoint for the slaughter generation. These issues are investigated in this paper.

Type
Genetics
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1993: Winter meeting , March 1993 , pp. 104
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1993

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References

Croston, D., Kempster, A.J., Guy, D.R. and Jones, D.W. 1987. Animal Production 44: 99–106.Google Scholar
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