Genetic analysis of production traits in pigs measured at test stations

Abstract

In this study genetic and phenotypic analysis of the production traits measured at carcass stations in Slovakia from 1997-2007 was carried out. The data from 10636 purebred animals (Large White, Landrace, White Meaty, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Slovak Meaty, Pietrain and Duroc) were used for estimating of (co)variance matrices and genetic parameters. Following productive traits were analyzed: weight of neck, loin, ham, shoulder, percentage of valuable cuts, longissimus dorsi muscle area, backfat thickness and average daily gain. Different multivariate animal models were used to estimate genetic parameters (coefficients of heritability and genetic correlations) using VCE programme. The highest heritabilities were estimated for weight of ham ranging from 0.46 to 0.63 according to breed, while the lowest heritabilities were estimated for weight of shoulder ranging from 0.14 to 0.18 according to breed. Estimated heritability for weight of loin varied from 0.24 to 0.26 according to breed and estimated heritability for weight of neck varied from 0.14 to 0.25 according to breed. High genetic correlations were calculated among the traits of detailed carcass dissection (weight of neck, loin, ham and shoulder) and traits currently used in routine genetic evaluation (proportion of trimmed valuable cuts, backfat thickness). Phenotypic correlations among single valuable cuts ranged from 0.10 to 0.68.