Open AccessGenetic parameters for growth traits in pigs estimated using third degree polynomial functions
Author(s) -
Marja-Liisa Sevón-Aimonen,
Kristina Sternberg,
Matti Ojala
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
agricultural and food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.347
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1795-1895
pISSN - 1459-6067
DOI - 10.23986/afsci.72774
Subject(s) - purebred , heritability , zoology , degree (music) , inflection point , weight gain , mathematics , veterinary medicine , body weight , biology , breed , medicine , genetics , endocrinology , physics , geometry , acoustics
A total of 8745 purebred Yorkshire and Landrace pigs extracted from Finnish progeny test station data was analysed. The pigs were weighed weekly during the test. A third degree polynomial function, age = f(weight), was fitted separately for each pig and was used to describe the growth patterns of individual pigs. Their live weight at the inflection point (LWip) was 72 kg, age at the inflection point (AGEip) 126 d, and maximum daily gain (DGmax) 1111 g/d, on average. The average daily gain from 30 to 90 kg (ADG30-90) was 957 g/d and in the smaller weight ranges (30 to 50, 50 to 70 and 70 to 90 kg) the average daily gains were 829, 1042 and 1046 g/d, respectively. Genetic parameters for growth and carcass traits were estimated using REML with an animal model. The heritability estimates (h2) for LWip , AGEip and ADG30-90 were 0.08, 0.33 and 0.23, respectively, and for smaller weight ranges from 0.14 to 0.21. Fast growing and lean animals had higher LWip than others and the rg between LWip and ADG30-90 DGmax and M% was 0.58, 0.73 and 0.57, respectively. The rg between ADG30-90 and M% was close to zero.