Abstract

Live weight (LW) and hot carcass weight (CW) of slaughter pigs were first corrected for fixed and random effects with a sire-dam model. Residuals from this model were then transformed to all-or-none traits with a threshold at +1.0 or -1.0 residual standard deviation, or to absolute residuals, and analysed for within-family variation with a sire-dam model and an animal model. Despite the delivery strategy aimed at carcasses in a weight range of 82-98 kg, LW and CW as measured were clearly heritable (h2=0.53 and 0.36). Heritabilities of transformed residuals were about zero for both transformations, suggesting that genetic selection within sire and dam lines for less within-family variation in LW and CW is not efficient. However, a significant sire-line effect was found on absolute residuals of LW and CW, indicating differences between sire lines in uniformity of their progeny.

E. Kanis, M. L van Pelt, P. RT Bonekamp, Egbert F Knol

Proceedings of the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Volume , , 06.23, 2006