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Research article2004Peer reviewed

Maternal effects on daily weight gain and ultrasonically recorded backfat in Swedish Landrace, Swedish Yorkshire, and Swedish Hampshire purebred pigs

Solanes, FX; Kihlberg, M; Andersson, K; Lundeheim, N

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic association between direct and maternal effects for important economic traits measured early and late in the growth period; daily gain (DG) between birth and 12 weeks of age (DG(0-12)), between 12 weeks of age and ultrasonic test ( at approx. 100 kg; DG(12-UT)), between birth and ultrasonic test (DG(0-UT)); and backfat at ultrasonic test (BF). Records from Landrace ( L; 39,130), Yorkshire (Y; 33,737), and Hampshire ( H; 17,832) pigs born between 1997 and 2001 from the Swedish breeding organization Quality Genetics databank were available. Univariate and bivariate analyses were applied. Two statistical models were used. The first model applied for all traits, included the random effect of herd-birth year-birth month combination, the litter environmental effects, and the direct genetic effects. The second model applied only for DG(0-UT) and BF, and included also the maternal genetic effects. Based on the first single-trait model, estimates of direct heritability (h(2)) were 0.12, 0.09, and 0.43 for DG(0-12); 0.16, 0.22, and 0.41 for DG(12-UT); 0.18, 0.24, and 0.28 for DG(0-UT); and 0.37, 0.42, and 0.43 for BF in the L, Y, and H breeds respectively. Estimates of litter environmental effects ranged from 0.05 to 0.17. Based on the second single-trait model, the maternal genetic effects were 0.03, 0.05, and 0.09 for DG(0-UT), and 0.02, 0.01, and 0.04 for BF. Estimates of direct h 2 from the second model were lower and ranged from 0.14 to 0.42 for all traits across breeds. Moderate-low genetic correlation between DG(0-12) and DG(12-UT) (- 0.25 to 0.40) and high correlation between DG(12-UT) and DG(0-UT) ( 0.84 to 0.96) were noted in all three breeds together with less maternal influence on traits expressed late in life. This indicates the possibility to treat early growth rate as a maternal trait, and late or overall growth rate as a direct trait in the breeding evaluation

Published in

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A - Animal Science
2004, volume: 54, number: 2, pages: 67-74
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science
Veterinary Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09064700410032004

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/3930