Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T09:13:23.594Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Responses in gilt traits measured during performance test, at mating and at farrowing with selection for components of efficient lean growth rate

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

The responses in traits measured at the start of the mating period and at farrowing were examined after seven generations of divergent selection for daily food intake (DFI), lean food conversion (LFC), lean growth rate (LGA) on ad-\ibitum feeding and lean growth on scale feeding (LGS). Weight and backfat depth at mating were measured on 330 gilts and 74 boars, which were selected on the basis of performance test traits. Farrowing information was available on 259 gilts. At the start of the mating period, gilts selected for high DFI, LGA or LGS had similar live weights (135, 137 and 137 (s.e.d. 4·5) kg) but different backfat depths (20·3, 14·0 and 11·3 (s.e.d. 1·3) mm) while the corresponding low lines had different live weights (129, 117 and 124 kg), but similar backfat depths (17·5, 17·8 and 17·8 mm). Gilts selected for high LFC had lower mean live weight and backfat depth (114 kg and 10·7 mm) than gilts in the other selection lines. Conception rates of gilts selected for low DFI or high LGS were similar (0·62 and 0·64, s.e.d. 0·12) and lower than for the alternative selection strategies (0-78), but the low DFI gilts were significantly older at farrowing than gilts selected for high LGS (424 v. 408 (s.e.d. 5·5) days). Responses in live weight, backfat depth, age at mating and particular reproduction traits were selection strategy dependent, such that identification of relationships between growth and reproduction traits will require measurement of additional growth traits at an earlier age than in the current study

Keywords

backfatconceptionpigsliveweightselection
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , October 1996 , pp. 235 - 241
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. 1995. Genotype with feeding regime interaction in pigs divergently selected for components of efficient lean growth rate. Animal Science 61: 123–132.CrossRefGoogle 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
Genstat Committee. 1993. GENSTAT 5.3 reference manual. Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Kerr, J. C. and Cameron, N. D. 1995. Reproductive performance of pigs selected for components of efficient lean growth. Animal Science 60: 281–290.Google Scholar
Kerr, J. C. and Cameron, N. D. 1996. Genetic and phenotypic relationships between performance test and reproduction traits in Large White pigs. Animal Science 62: 531–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirkwood, R. N. and Aherne, F. X. 1985. Energy intake, body composition and reproductive performance of gilts. journal of Animal Science 60:1518–1529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1995. Pig herd year book. MLC, Milton Keynes.Google Scholar
Meyer, K. 1986. Maximum likelihood estimation of variance components for a multivariate mixed model with equal design matrices. Biometrics 41: 153–165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, K. and Thompson, R. 1984. Bias in variance and covariance component estimates due to selection on a correlated trait. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 101: 33–50.Google Scholar
Ogle, R. B. and Dalin, A. 1989. The effect of food intake in the rearing period on the reproductive performance of heavy and light gilts from large litters. Animal Production 49: 305–310.Google Scholar
Patterson, H. D. and Thompson, R. 1971. Recovery of inter-block information when block sizes are unequal. Biometrika 58: 545–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, St C. S. 1980. Live-weight growth from embryo to adult in domesticated mammals. Animal Production 31: 223–235.Google Scholar
Taylor, St C. S. 1985. Use of genetic size-scaling in evaluation of animal growth. Journal of Animal Science 61: (supplement 2) 118–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar