A note on the possibility to include carcass traits in the prediction of breeding values for pigs

Abstract

Genetic parameters for measurements, which are taken on the slaughter line for meat percentage evaluation and some ham traits, were estimated with intention, to study the possibility of including these traits in the prediction of breeding value for pigs. Data from 2167 pigs (1046 barrows and 1121 gilts) with known pedigree were analyzed. Pigs were group housed and fattened on ad libitum feeding regime in field environment of farm Nemščak. Pigs were slaughtered between April 1999 and December 2000. Variance components were estimated with univariate models by restricted maximum likelihood method (REML). The models included sex, genotype and season (year-month) as fixed effects and warm carcass weight or age at slaughter as linear regression. Estimates of heritability were moderate to high, for warm carcass weight (0.32), loin depth (0.41), loin fat thickness (0.45), lean meat percentage (0.46), lean meat weight (0.38), ham weight (0.32), weight of skin with subcutaneous fat of ham (0.47), weight of meat and bones of ham (0.41), average daily gain of warm carcass weight (0.32) and for lean meat (0.38). Additive genetic variances were also high. Lean meat percentage and weight of skin with subcutaneous fat of ham are candidate traits for inclusion in selection program.