The objective of the study was to integrate economic parameters into genetic selection for sow productivity, growth performance and carcass characteristics in South African Large White pigs. Simulation models for sow productivity and terminal production systems were performed based on a hypothetical 100-sow herd, to derive economic values for the economically relevant traits. The traits included in the study were number born alive (NBA), 21-day litter size (D21LS), 21-day litter weight (D21LWT), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), age at slaughter (AGES), dressing percentage (DRESS), lean content (LEAN) and backfat thickness (BFAT). Growth of a pig was described by the Gompertz growth function, while feed intake was derived from the nutrient requirements of pigs at the respective ages. Partial budgeting and partial differentiation of the profit function were used to derive economic values, which were defined as the change in profit per unit genetic change in a given trait. The respective economic values (ZAR) were: 61.26, 38.02, 210.15, 33.34, −21.81, −68.18, 5.78, 4.69 and −1.48. These economic values indicated the direction and emphases of selection, and were sensitive to changes in feed prices and marketing prices for carcasses and maiden gilts. Economic values for NBA, D21LS, DRESS and LEAN decreased with increasing feed prices, suggesting a point where genetic improvement would be a loss, if feed prices continued to increase. The economic values for DRESS and LEAN increased as the marketing prices for carcasses increased, while the economic value for BFAT was not sensitive to changes in all prices. Reductions in economic values can be counterbalanced by simultaneous increases in marketing prices of carcasses and maiden gilts. Economic values facilitate genetic improvement by translating it to proportionate profitability. Breeders should, however, continually recalculate economic values to place the most appropriate emphases on the respective traits during genetic selection.

Direct measurement of individual animal dry matter intake (DMI) remains a fundamental challenge to assessing dairy feed efficiency (FE). Digesta marker, is currently the most used indirect technique for estimating DMI in production animals. In this meta-analysis we evaluated the performance of marker-based estimates against direct or observed measurements and developed equations for the prediction of FE (g energy-corrected milk (ECM)/kg DMI). Data were taken from 29 change-over studies consisting of 416 cow-within period observations. Most studies used more than one digesta marker. So, for each observed measurement of DMI, faecal dry matter output (FDMO) and apparent total tract dry matter digestibility (DMD), there was one or more corresponding marker estimate. There were 924, 409 and 846 observations for estimated FDMO (eFDMO), estimated apparent total tract DMD (eDMD) and estimated DMI (eDMI), respectively. The experimental diets were based mainly on grass silage, with soya bean or rapeseed meal as protein supplements and cereal grains or by-products as energy supplements. Across all diets, average forage to concentrate ratio on a dry matter (DM) basis was 59 : 41. Variance component and repeatability estimates of observed and marker estimations were determined using random factors in mixed procedures of SAS. Between-cow CV in observed FDMO, DMD and DMI was, 10.3, 1.69 and 8.04, respectively. Overall, the repeatability estimates of observed variables were greater than their corresponding marker-based estimates of repeatability. Regression of observed measurements on marker-based estimates gave good relationships (R2=0.87, 0.68, 0.74 and 0.74, relative prediction error =10.9%, 6.5%, 15.4% and 18.7%for FDMO, DMD, DMI and FE predictions, respectively). Despite this, the mean and slope biases were statistically significant (P<0.001) for all regressions. More than half of the errors in all regressions were due to mean and slope biases (52.4% 87.4%, 82.9% and 85.8% for FDMO, DMD, DMI and FE, respectively), whereas the contributions of random errors were small. Based on residual variance, the best model for predicting FE developed from the dataset was FE (g ECM/kg DMI)=1179(±54.1) +38.2(±2.05)×ECM(kg/day)−0.64(±0.051)×BW (kg)−75.6(±4.39)×eFDMO (kg/day). Although eDMD was positively related to FE, it only showed a tendency to reduce the residual variance. Despite inaccuracy in marker procedures, eFDMO from external markers provided a reliable determination for FE measurement. However, DMD estimated by internal markers did not improve prediction of FE, probably reflecting small variability.

Groups of wether lambs were grown at different rates from about 24 kg live weight to 50 kg, by feeding them different amounts of the same concentrate diet. The slow growing lambs had higher contents of protein, ash, calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P), and less fat and magnesium (Mg) than other groups. Differences in composition were significant between slow (120 g/day) and fast growth (230 g/day; P < 0-05) but not always between intermediate (160 g/day) and other growth rates. The differences became small and insignificant when data were expressed on a fat-free basis except for Mg which decreased with slow growth. Ash, for example, increased from 47 g/kg fat-free gain with fast growing animals to 54 g/kg with slow growth. Mg decreased from 0·44 g/kg fat-free gain with fast growth to 0·24 g/kg with slow growth. The data support the view that the ratio of ash to fat-free empty-body increases only slightly with age.

The basic diet contained 3·9 g Ca per kg dry matter and the effect of a substantial supplement of calcium carbonate on lambs growing at the fast rate was to increase their retentions of ash, Ca and P by a factor greater than 1·25. There are alternative explanations for this finding. One possibility is that the availability of Ca in the basic diet had been reduced by unknown factors. It is also possible that the supplementary carbonate altered the acid/base status of the animals and resulted in conditions which favoured skeletal mineralization.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary lysine on performance, protein deposition and respiratory chain gene expression in male broilers. A total of 252 Cobb 500 broilers were distributed, in a completely randomized design, into four treatments with seven replicates of nine birds per experimental unit. Experimental treatments consisted of diets based on corn and soybean meal, with four levels of digestible lysine: 1.016%, 1.099%, 1.182% and 1.265%. The increase in the level of digestible lysine in the diet provided higher weight gains, feed efficiency and body protein deposition. Birds fed the lowest level of dietary lysine (1.016%) showed a lower expression of genes such as NADH dehydrogenase subunit I (ND1), cytochrome b (CYTB) and cytochrome c oxidase subunits I (COX I), II (COX II) and III (COX III), displaying the worst performance and body protein deposition. This demonstrates the relationship existing between the expression of the evaluated genes and the performance responses. In conclusion, results indicate that broilers fed diets with higher levels of digestible lysine have increased messenger RNA expression of some genes coded in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ND1, CYTB, COX I, COX II and COX III). It may be stated that diets with proper levels of digestible lysine, within the ‘ideal protein’ concept, promote the expression of genes, which increases the mitochondrial energy, thereby fostering body protein deposition and the performance of broilers in the starter phase.

Estimates of heritability for 9 litter traits were derived from data on 38 000 Large White and 35 000 Landrace litters by daughter-dam regression (parities 1 to 5) and by a three-level nested half-sib analysis (parities 1 to 3). The regression and half-sib heritability estimates were similar and overall the estimates were quite low, averaging 7% across traits and breeds. This is in general agreement with estimates from two other large-scale European analyses of field data. Some other reports, including lesser experimental material, show rather higher heritability values.

The intensification of livestock have increased the emission of pollutants to the environment, leading to a growing interest in seeking strategies that minimise these emissions. Studies have shown that it is possible to manipulate diets by reducing CP levels and thus reducing nitrogen (N) excretion, without compromising performance. However, there is no knowledge of any study that has focused on reducing N excretion and relating this reduction to individual amino acids. This study investigated the effect of dietary methionine+cysteine (MC) and threonine (THR), the two most limiting amino acids for broiler production, on nitrogen excretion (NE) and nitrogen deposition (ND) and determined the efficiency of utilisation of both amino acids for protein deposition. Six trials were conducted to measure the NE and ND in broiler chickens during three rearing phases in response to dietary amino acid. The efficiency of utilisation of the amino acids was calculated by linear regression of body protein deposition and the amino acid intake. Despite the differences between sexes and phases, the efficiency of utilisation was the same, being 0.60 and 0.59 for MC and THR, respectively. The rate of NE behaved exponentially, increasing with amino acid intake, and can exceed 50% of N intake, being higher than ND. On average, for a reduction in intake of each unit of MC or THR (mg) there is a reduction of 0.5% of NE. Although this reduction seems low, considering that it corresponds to changes in one amino acid only, the impact on a large scale would be significant. Knowledge of how animals respond to NE and ND/protein deposition according to amino acid dietary content may represent new efforts towards reducing the impact on environment.

Genotype × environment and genotype × sex interactions were investigated using lines of Scottish Blackface sheep that had been divergently selected under intensive husbandry conditions for predicted carcass lean proportion, and offspring of rams from these selection lines which were reared under extensive hill conditions. Traits considered were live weight and ultrasonic fat and muscle depth. These were measured at 20 weeks of age on the intensively reared lambs and at 17 weeks of age on the extensively reared animals. Heritabilities for the two environments were 0-39 and 0-20 for fat depth, 0-36 and 0-25 for muscle depth and 0-23 and 0-12 for live weight. Genetic correlations between the environments were 0-54 (s.e. 0-17), 0-90 (s.e. 0-14) and 0-11 (s.e. 0-43) for fat depth, muscle depth and live weight, respectively. The extensive environment may be subdivided according to whether the lambs are reared on improved pasture or on the hill side. The genetic correlations (with s.e.s where estimable) between performance in these two environments were 0-70 (s.e. 0-33), 0-71 (s.e. 0-23) and 1-00 for fat depth, muscle depth and live weight. Genetic correlations between male and female performance under extensive conditions were 0-84 (s.e. 0-28), 0-99 (s.e. 0-14) and 1-00 for fat depth, muscle depth and live weight. T-or fat depth, the genetic correlations of the intensively reared lambs (males only) with extensively reared females and males were 0-37 (s.e. 0-22) and 0-67 (s.e. 0-17), respectively.

An experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial design was used to assess the effects of offering either 6 (L6) or 12 (H12) kg concentrates daily from day 13 of lactation until turnout to grazing with grass silage (600 to 620 g digestible organic matter per kg dry matter (DM)) ad libitum and either ad libitum (G) or restricted (g) quantities of grass from turnout to the end of August. In each of 3 years, 60 to 70 January- to March-calving British Friesian cows were used. From calving until turnout to grazing the mean daily DM intakes of silage were 7·2 and 8·9 kg, and of concentrates 8·5 and 4·9 kg for the H12 and L6 groups respectively, giving a mean substitution rate of 0·47 kg silage DM per kg concentrate DM. Mean daily milk yields were 26·7 and 22·9 kg giving a direct response of 0·85 kg/kg additional concentrate DM. Milk from the L6 group had a higher fat concentration and these cows were also lighter at the end of the winter. At pasture, there were no significant interactions for milk variates between winter treatments and grass availability. The stocking rate of cows with restricted grass availability was 0·33 higher from turnout to the end of August. It resulted in a 0·10 proportional reduction in milk yield per cow but per ha there was a 0·21 proportional increase. At pasture, the H12 cows gave more milk at both grass availabilities. The total responses to concentrates were 1·59 and 2·11 kg milk per kg concentrate DM at the ad libitum and restricted grass availabilities respectively. The good response to concentrate coupled with a 0·35 cow per ha increase in annual stocking rate as a result of restricting the grazing area ensured that gross margins and grass utilization were highest for the H12g cows. Conception rates were similar on all treatments and there were no significant differences in live weight at the end of lactation.

The effects of sex, twinning and age of ewe on birth weight, weaning weight and fertility have been studied in 5 years' records of a small grassland flock of Wiltshire × Blackface crossbred ewes with the object of providing provisional correction factors for these variables in recorded flocks under similar management. All these variables produced large effects in the flock studied. On birth weight these were; sex, 0·6 lb.; twinning, 2·1 lb.; hogg's lamb, 2·3 lb. The corresponding adjustments for weaning weight were 7 lb., 14 lb., and 11 lb. Ewes first bred as hoggs subsequently performed well.

Ease of handling (time to enter and exit scales and dip, and temperament scores) and flight distance were studied in Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle and their crossbreds. At one research station (LS), 20 cows and 20 female calves, each of N'dama and West African Shorthorn (WASH) cattle were used. At another research station (BRS), 15 cows each of N'dama, Holstein and their crossbreds (NH) were used for the study. In addition a further 20 cows and 20 female calves of the N'dama breed were studied at BRS for comparison with the N'dama at LS. There were no significant differences in ease of handling and flight distance between N'dama and WASH and between N'dama at LS and at BRS. There were significant differences between N'dama, Holstein and NH cows in ease of handling and flight distance. Cows took a shorter time to enter but generally a longer time to exit a scale, had a shorter flight distance and a lower temperament score (P < 0·01) than calves.

1. Oxygen consumption was measured in two experiments using castrated Romney male sheep both shorn and unshorn. The sheep were fed either ground hay or dried grass. An ambient temperature of 13°C ± 1°C was maintained at all times. In Experiment 1, oxygen consumption was measured with eight sheep using a respiration chamber and in Experiment 2, oxygen consumption was measured with four sheep using a ventilated hood. The times spent standing, lying, eating and ruminating were measured in Experiment 2. Heat production was calculated from the measured values for oxygen consumption.

2. Heat production increased following shearing in both experiments. In Experiment 1, heat production of the sheep receiving dried grass was significantly greater (P<0·05) on days 1, 8 and 16 following shearing, compared with pre-shearing values. For sheep receiving ground hay, heat production was greater on day 1 (P<0·05) and day 8 (P<0·01) following shearing, compared with pre-shearing values. The mean maximum increase in heat production following shearing was 2·3 MJ/24 hr (25% increase) for sheep receiving dried grass and 1·2 MJ (17%) for those receiving ground hay.

3. The patterns of change in heat production following shearing in Experiment 2 were similar to those observed in Experiment 1 although the maximum increases were smaller: 21% for the sheep receiving dried grass and 13% for those receiving ground hay.

4. The time spent standing increased considerably after shearing and this change in behaviour made a large contribution to the increase in energy expenditure after the sheep were shorn.

Exposure of growing rabbits to heat stress during summer adversely affects their performance leading to major production losses. A total number of 48 rabbits, unsexed V-line weaned rabbits, were randomly divided into four experimental groups, temperature ranged from high at 32°C to low at 23°C. Animals of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th group were individually orally given 200, 400 or 800 mg royal jelly (RJ)/kg BW once a week, respectively, to evaluate RJ ability to reduce physiological strain resulted from heat stress. Weekly BW gain increased by 10.4, 11.8 and 10.8%, and feed conversion ratio was significantly improved by 20, 24 and 18% with RJ treatments. Serum total protein, albumin and globulin increased, whereas serum total lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides decreased with RJ treatments. Creatinine was reduced by 21, 30 and 18% and uric acid by 14, 25 and 18% compared with the heat stressed control with the three doses of RJ. Glucose level increased significantly to reach 116, 125, and 120% of heat stressed control. Calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase increased significantly with RJ treatments indicating the occurrence of active bone deposition. Thyroid hormone levels increased significantly to reach 108, 111, and 112% of heat stressed control rabbits with the three doses of RJ, counteracting the hypothyroid state resulted from heat stress. It can be concluded that RJ administration to heat stressed growing rabbits can reduce physiological strain resulted from heat stress.

Lambs weaned from the ewe at 2 days of age were fed liberally or on a restricted level in each of three periods of growth according to a factorial design. In the first period restriction was achieved by giving less milk (5 as against 9 kg of milk replacer) and in the later periods by diluting one of the diets with 40% oat husks.

Milk restriction had no effect on performance from 15 to 35 kg or on the carcass composition as determined by dissection into fat, lean and bone. However, in the separate stages, 15·25 kg and 25·35 kg there was some indication that previous restriction of milk affected subsequent dry-matter intake and growth, particularly in the middle period of growth in lambs given the low energy diet.

Restriction after 15 kg, particularly from 15 to 25 kg, reduced overall performance to slaughter at 35 kg but had little effect on dissected carcass components. Restriction in the middle period affected performance in the final period and reduced food conversion efficiency. It is calculated that milk allowances for artificially reared lambs can be reduced without much effect on subsequent performance particularly where good diets are self-fed after 15 kg.

Restriction after 15 kg can be achieved by diet dilution but it has no apparently beneficial effect on carcass quality, as in pigs, and particularly if applied soon after 15 kg has been reached, can severely reduce growth and efficiency of feed conversion.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and progesterone (P4) treatment in initiating oestrus and ovulation post partum (PP) in Holstein-Friesian cows. Using four herds, the treatment protocol consisted of a single intra-muscular injection of PGF2α (Estrumate) between days 12 to 14 PP followed 48 h later by progesterone treatment via intra-vaginal CIDR insertion for a period of 7 days. Milk samples for progesterone determination were collected three times weekly from 7 to 65 days PP. The ovarian activity and reproductive performance of treated (T, no. = 153) animals and untreated control cows (C, no. = 315) were compared. Treatment was effective (P < 0·001) in reducing the mean interval to PP commencement of luteal activity from 29·62 (s.e. 0·82) days to 22·09 (s.e. 0·70) days. The mean interval to first PP oestrus in the T animals was significantly reduced (P < 0·001) from 55·62 (s.e. 1·58) days to 44·91 (s.e. 1·44) days and the incidence of silent ovulation in cycles between days 21 to 65 PP was reduced (P < 0·001) from 56·28% to 42·27%. In two herds under one management regime and with a similar block-calving pattern (no. = 280 animals), the treatment protocol was beneficial to the overall reproductive performance as there was a significant shortening in the mean interval to first PP service (75·82 (s.e. 1·93) v. 80·86 (s.e. 1·32) days) and in the interval to PP conception (83·07 (s.e. 2·49) v. 88·90 (s.e. 1·95) days), both P < 0·05.

The lysine requirement of the lactating sow was examined in two Latin-square experiments using multiparous sows, in mid lactation, each of which suckled a litter of 10 piglets. The lysine requirement was examined by the addition of supplementary synthetic lysine to a basal diet deficient in lysine, to give dietary lysine levels of 6·4 to 17·2g/kg dry matter. The adequacy of the lysine supply was judged by the responses of plasma lysine, plasma and urea-nitrogen, urinary urea-nitrogen and milk composition. Intersecting linear regression lines were fitted to the treatment means. The responses of urinary urea-nitrogen, in the two experiments, indicated that the lactating sow required approximately 48·5 g dietary lysine per day while the response of plasma lysine indicated a requirement of approximately 51 g lysine per day. Plasma urea and milk composition were less useful as indicators of the nutritional adequacy than were urinary urea-nitrogen and plasma lysine.

A comparison was made over 2 years of sires of Suffolk and Dutch Texel breeds and ewes of Greyface (Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface), Suffolk Cheviot and Dutch Texel breeds in terms of food intake, prolificacy and lamb growth rates under a grass-based system of production. Suffolk Cheviot ewes consumed significantly more silage dry matter than the Greyface ewes in both years of the study. There was no overall difference between Greyface and Suffolk Cheviot ewes in terms of prolificacy. However lambs from Suffolk Cheviot ewes had a higher growth rate than lambs from Greyface ewes from birth to weaning in year 1 (P < 0·01). In the comparison of the three ewe breeds sired by Dutch Texel rams in year 2, Dutch Texel ewes produced a similar number of lambs to the other genotypes but had a higher incidence of difficult lambings, higher lamb mortality and consequently a lower number of lambs weaned. Purebred Dutch Texel male lambs had lower growth rates than crossbred Dutch Texel lambs (143 compared with 158 glday for lambs from Greyface ewes and 166 (s.e. 13.4) glday for lambs from Suffolk Cheviot ewes in year 1 and 183 compared with 251 and 248 respectively (s.e. 10.9) glday in year 2). Lambs sired by Suffolk rams had higher growth rates than those sired by Dutch Texel rams (252 compared with 224 (s.e. 5.4) glday) in year 2.

Methods of inducing ovulation 3 weeks prior to the onset of the breeding season were evaluated in lactating adult red deer. Following 11 days of intravaginal progesterone pre treatment, hinds were either untreated (control), or given 300 i.u. PMSG i.m. or 500 mglh GnRH s.c. by osmotic pump. All hinds were laparoscoped 7 days after progesterone withdrawal to record the presence or absence of a corpus luteum on the ovaries, Laparoscopy showed 0113 control, 11113 PMSG and 8/13 GnRH-treated hinds ovulated indicating that during lactation, both methods of inducing ovulation are similarly effective, However, although these treatments induced ovulation, fertility as assessed from calving records, was poor.

Measurements have been made of the length and diameter of the cervix and caudal ostium position in relation to the vaginal floor in 30 jenny asses of Baudet du Poitou breed and crosses. These measurements were obtained on the 4th, 5th and 6th days of oestrus and the 6th and 8th days of dioestrus. The observed anatomical modifications were mainly associated with the animal's physiological state, age and morphological type (size). The cervical anatomy of the female donkey differs from that of the mare not only in size but also in the existence of a large cervical protrusion into the vagina which can lead to the occurrence of cervical lesions during parturition or from the mechanical action of mating, especially when the female is small. This anatomical conformation also makes intrauterine ejaculation difficult whether by natural service or by artificial insemination.

Ovarian follicle selection is a natural biological process in the pre-ovulatory hierarchy in birds that drives growing follicles to be selected within the ovulatory cycle. Follicle selection in birds is strictly regulated, involving signaling pathways mediated by dietary nutrients, gonadotrophic hormones and paracrine factors. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that dietary Ca may participate in regulating follicle selection in laying ducks through activating the signaling pathway of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), possibly mediated by gonadotrophic hormones. Female ducks at 22 weeks of age were initially fed one of two Ca-deficient diets (containing 1.8% or 0.38% Ca) or a Ca-adequate control diet (containing 3.6% Ca) for 67 days (depletion period), then all birds were fed the Ca-adequate diet for an additional 67 days (repletion period). Compared with the Ca-adequate control, ducks fed 0.38% Ca during the depletion period had significantly decreased (P < 0.05) numbers of hierarchical follicles and total ovarian weight, which were accompanied by reduced egg production. Plasma concentration of FSH was decreased by the diet containing 1.8% Ca but not by that containing 0.38%. The ovarian content of cAMP was increased with the two Ca-deficient diets, and phosphorylation of PKA and ERK1/2 was increased with 0.38% dietary Ca. Transcripts of ovarian estradiol receptor 2 and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) were reduced in the ducks fed the two Ca-deficient diets (P < 0.05), while those of the ovarian follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) were decreased in the ducks fed 0.38% Ca. The transcript abundance of ovary gap junction proteins, A1 and A4, was reduced with the Ca-deficient diets (P < 0.05). The down-regulation of gene expression of gap junction proteins and hormone receptors, the increased cAMP content and the suppressed hierarchical follicle numbers were reversed by repletion of dietary Ca. These results indicate that dietary Ca deficiency negatively affects follicle selection of laying ducks, independent of FSH, but probably by activating cAMP/PKA/ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

The partition of the total genetic variance into its additive and non-additive components can differ from trait to trait, and between purebred and crossbred populations. A quantification of these genetic variance components will determine the extent to which it would be of interest to account for dominance in genomic evaluations or to establish mate allocation strategies along different populations and traits. This study aims at assessing the contribution of the additive and dominance genomic variances to the phenotype expression of several purebred Piétrain and crossbred (Piétrain × Large White) pig performances. A total of 636 purebred and 720 crossbred male piglets were phenotyped for 22 traits that can be classified into six groups of traits: growth rate and feed efficiency, carcass composition, meat quality, behaviour, boar taint and puberty. Additive and dominance variances estimated in univariate genotypic models, including additive and dominance genotypic effects, and a genomic inbreeding covariate allowed to retrieve the additive and dominance single nucleotide polymorphism variances for purebred and crossbred performances. These estimated variances were used, together with the allelic frequencies of the parental populations, to obtain additive and dominance variances in terms of genetic breeding values and dominance deviations. Estimates of the Piétrain and Large White allelic contributions to the crossbred variance were of about the same magnitude in all the traits. Estimates of additive genetic variances were similar regardless of the inclusion of dominance. Some traits showed relevant amount of dominance genetic variance with respect to phenotypic variance in both populations (i.e. growth rate 8%, feed conversion ratio 9% to 12%, backfat thickness 14% to 12%, purebreds-crossbreds). Other traits showed higher amount in crossbreds (i.e. ham cut 8% to 13%, loin 7% to 16%, pH semimembranosus 13% to 18%, pH longissimus dorsi 9% to 14%, androstenone 5% to 13% and estradiol 6% to 11%, purebreds-crossbreds). It was not encountered a clear common pattern of dominance expression between groups of analysed traits and between populations. These estimates give initial hints regarding which traits could benefit from accounting for dominance for example to improve genomic estimated breeding value accuracy in genetic evaluations or to boost the total genetic value of progeny by means of assortative mating.