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Zhao Y, Zhang X, Li F, Zhang D, Zhang Y, Li X, Song Q, Li C, Zhao L, Wang J, Xu D, Cheng J, Li W, Lin C, Zhou B, Wang W. Estimation of genetic correlations of two key feed efficiency traits with production traits in male Hu sheep. Anim Biotechnol 2023; 34:2805-2816. [PMID: 36074803 DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2022.2119405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Increased body growth and feed efficiency are important for breeding due to expensive feed costs. This study estimated the genetic parameters for two feed efficiency traits [the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the residual feed intake (RFI)] and other important economic traits in male Hu sheep using 1642 male Hu lambs. The heritability of the RFI was estimated at 0.31 (±0.10)-0.54 (±0.1) and the heritability of the FCR was 0.05 (±0.07)-0.77 (±0.12). There was a negative genetic correlation between rib-eye muscle area traits and RFI. A positive genetic correlation was found between fat deposition traits and feed efficiency traits. The digestive tract weight decreased with the direction of RFI: however, the FCR showed the opposite: A low FCR was accompanied by a high digestive tract weight. The genetic correlation between feed efficiency (RFI and FCR) and rumen weight was negative. Heritability estimates for feed efficiency generate fluctuations with different experimental intervals. The weight of other traits should be reasonably allocated to avoid losses in production and feed efficiency in the selection of feed efficiency traits. The present study added to our understanding of the genetic parameters of sheep under the condition of house feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiaoxue Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Fadi Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Deyin Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Yukun Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xiaolong Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Qizhi Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Chong Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Liming Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jianghui Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Dan Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jiangbo Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Wenxin Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Changchun Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bubo Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Weiming Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Yin Z, Ma Z, Wang S, Hao S, Liu X, Pang Q, Wang X. Expression and tissue distribution analysis of vimentin and transthyretin proteins associated with coat colors in sheep (Ovis aries). Anim Biosci 2023; 36:1367-1375. [PMID: 37402463 PMCID: PMC10472160 DOI: 10.5713/ab.23.0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pigment production and distribution are controlled through multiple proteins, resulting in different coat color phenotypes of sheep. METHODS The expression distribution of vimentin (VIM) and transthyretin (TTR) in white and black sheep skins was detected by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem MS (LC-ESI-MS/MS), gene ontology (GO) statistics, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to evaluate their role in the coat color formation of sheep. RESULTS LC-ESI-MS/MS results showed VIM and TTR proteins in white and black skin tissues of sheep. Meanwhile, GO functional annotation analysis suggested that VIM and TTR proteins were mainly concentrated in cellular components and biological process, respectively. Further research confirmed that VIM and TTR proteins were expressed at significantly higher levels in black sheep skins than in white sheep skins by Western blot, respectively. Immunohistochemistry notably detected VIM and TTR in hair follicle, dermal papilla, and outer root sheath of white and black sheep skins. qRT-PCR results also revealed that the expression of VIM and TTR mRNAs was higher in black sheep skins than in white sheep skins. CONCLUSION The expression of VIM and TTR were higher in black sheep skins than in white sheep skins and the transcription and translation were unanimous in this study. VIM and TTR proteins were expressed in hair follicles of white and black sheep skins. These results suggested that VIM and TTR were involved in the coat color formation of sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Yin
- Postdoctoral Research Base, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046,
China
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003,
China
| | - Zhisheng Ma
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003,
China
| | - Siting Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003,
China
| | - Shitong Hao
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003,
China
| | - Xinyou Liu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003,
China
| | - Quanhai Pang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801,
China
| | - Xinzhuang Wang
- Postdoctoral Research Base, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046,
China
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3
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Massender E, Brito LF, Cánovas A, Baes CF, Kennedy D, Schenkel FS. The value of incorporating carcass trait phenotypes in terminal sire selection indexes to improve carcass weight and quality of heavy lambs. J Anim Breed Genet 2020; 138:91-107. [PMID: 32529716 DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Genetic selection for carcass traits is paramount to maximize the profitability and long-term sustainability of any meat-producing livestock species. The main objectives of this research were to evaluate the efficiency of indicator traits for the genetic improvement of lamb carcass traits and to determine the value of including carcass traits into terminal sire selection indexes for the Canadian sheep industry. The carcass traits included hot carcass weight (HCW), fat depth at the GR site (FATGR) and average carcass conformation score (AVGCONF), and were measured on heavy lambs (slaughter age less than 365 days and HCW greater than 16.3 kg) in commercial abattoirs. Growth traits were found to be moderately efficient indicator traits for the genetic improvement of HCW but selection on ultrasound traits was necessary to substantially improve the carcass quality traits (FATGR and AVGCONF). Economic selection indexes were designed by adding various combinations of carcass traits into the Canadian Sheep Genetic Evaluation System terminal indexes. Records measured on individuals and progeny were assumed to be the sources of information for live animal and carcass traits, respectively. The changes in index accuracy, efficiency and expected correlated response were used to assess the value of their inclusion. HCW was found to have a large economic value, and its inclusion into terminal selection indexes was expected to substantially increase their accuracy (0.08-0.12 points) and efficiency (20%-30%). However, further including FATGR (measured 110 mm from the carcass midline over the 12th rib) and AVGCONF had little impact on the accuracy (≤0.03) and efficiency (1%-7%) of the proposed indexes. Thus, the inclusion of carcass traits into the existing terminal selection indexes could be beneficial for the genetic improvement of HCW, but further research is needed to determine optimal methods of increasing carcass fatness and muscularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Massender
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Luiz F Brito
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.,Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Christine F Baes
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Delma Kennedy
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Elora, ON, Canada
| | - Flavio S Schenkel
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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4
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Mortimer SI, Fogarty NM, van der Werf JHJ, Brown DJ, Swan AA, Jacob RH, Geesink GH, Hopkins DL, Hocking Edwards JE, Ponnampalam EN, Warner RD, Pearce KL, Pethick DW. Genetic correlations between meat quality traits and growth and carcass traits in Merino sheep1. J Anim Sci 2020; 96:3582-3598. [PMID: 29893862 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic correlations between 16 meat quality and nutritional value traits and live weight at various ages, live ultrasound fat and muscle depth, carcass measures, and carcass dissection traits were estimated for Merino sheep in the Information Nucleus (IN). Genetic correlations between live weight at various ages and the carcass traits are also reported. The IN comprised 8 genetically linked flocks managed across a range of Australian sheep environments. Meat quality traits included between 1,200 and 1,300 records for progeny from over 170 sires for intramuscular fat (IMF), lean meat yield (LMY), shear force (SF5), pH, meat color, and meat nutritional value traits including iron and zinc levels and long-chain omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels. The genetic correlations indicated that selection of Merino sheep to either reduce fat or increase muscle using ultrasound assessments will result in little change in IMF and SF5. Myoglobin levels would tend to be reduced following selection for reduced ultrasound fat depth (0.35 ± 0.21, 0.43 ± 0.14), whereas increases in myoglobin levels would occur due to selection for increased ultrasound muscle depth (0.25 ± 0.24, 0.38 ± 0.15). Selection for increased live weight will result in favorable correlated responses in hot carcass weight (0.76 to 0.97), dressing percentage (0.13 to 0.47), and carcass muscle (0.37 to 0.95), but unfavorable responses of increases in carcass fatness (0.13 to 0.65) and possible small reductions in muscle oxidative activity (-0.13 ± 0.14 to -0.73 ± 0.33) and iron content (-0.14 ± 0.15 to -0.38 ± 0.16), and a possible deterioration of shear force from selection at later ages (0.15 ± 0.26, 0.27 ± 0.24). Negligible changes are generally expected for LMY and meat color traits following selection for increased live weight (most genetic correlations less than 0.20 in size). Selection for increased LMY would tend to result in unfavorable changes in several aspects of meat quality, including reduced IMF (-0.27 ± 0.18), meat tenderness (0.53 ± 0.26), and meat redness (-0.69 ± 0.40), as well as reduced iron levels (-0.25 ± 0.22). These genetic correlations are a first step in assisting the development of breeding values for new traits to be incorporated into genetic evaluation programs to improve meat production from Merino sheep and other dual-purpose sheep breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne I Mortimer
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Agricultural Research Centre, Trangie, NSW, Australia.,Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Neal M Fogarty
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | - Julius H J van der Werf
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel J Brown
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew A Swan
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Robin H Jacob
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Baron Hay Court, South Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Geert H Geesink
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - David L Hopkins
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development, Cowra, NSW, Australia
| | - Janelle E Hocking Edwards
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,South Australian Research and Development Institute, Naracoorte, SA, Australia
| | - Eric N Ponnampalam
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,Agriculture Victoria, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Attwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Robyn D Warner
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,Agriculture Victoria, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Attwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Kelly L Pearce
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - David W Pethick
- Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
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Wei C, Luo H, Zhao B, Tian K, Huang X, Wang Y, Fu X, Tian Y, Di J, Xu X, Wu W, Tulafu H, Yasen M, Zhang Y, Zhao W. The Effect of Integrating Genomic Information into Genetic Evaluations of Chinese Merino Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10040569. [PMID: 32231053 PMCID: PMC7222387 DOI: 10.3390/ani10040569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Genetic improvement of wool production and quality traits in fine-wool sheep is an appealing option for enhancing the market value of wool products. We estimated genetic parameters and the accuracies of estimated breeding values for various wool production and quality traits in fine-wool sheep using pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (PBLUP) and single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) strategies. ssGBLUP performed slightly better than PBLUP for the studied traits. Therefore, the single-step genetic evaluation method could be successfully implemented in genomic evaluations of fine-wool sheep and the prediction of future breeding values in young Merino sheep as part of an early preselection strategy in the near future. Abstract Genomic evaluations are a method for improving the accuracy of breeding value estimation. This study aimed to compare estimates of genetic parameters and the accuracy of breeding values for wool traits in Merino sheep between pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (PBLUP) and single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) using Bayesian inference. Data were collected from 28,391 yearlings of Chinese Merino sheep (classified in 1992–2018) at the Xinjiang Gonaisi Fine Wool Sheep-Breeding Farm, China. Subjectively-assessed wool traits, namely, spinning count (SC), crimp definition (CRIM), oil (OIL), and body size (BS), and objectively-measured traits, namely, fleece length (FL), greasy fleece weight (GFW), mean fiber diameter (MFD), crimp number (CN), and body weight pre-shearing (BWPS), were analyzed. The estimates of heritability for wool traits were low to moderate. The largest h2 values were observed for FL (0.277) and MFD (0.290) with ssGBLUP. The heritabilities estimated for wool traits with ssGBLUP were slightly higher than those obtained with PBLUP. The accuracies of breeding values were low to moderate, ranging from 0.362 to 0.573 for the whole population and from 0.318 to 0.676 for the genotyped subpopulation. The correlation between the estimated breeding values (EBVs) and genomic EBVs (GEBVs) ranged from 0.717 to 0.862 for the whole population, and the relative increase in accuracy when comparing EBVs with GEBVs ranged from 0.372% to 7.486% for these traits. However, in the genotyped population, the rank correlation between the estimates obtained with PBLUP and ssGBLUP was reduced to 0.525 to 0.769, with increases in average accuracy of 3.016% to 11.736% for the GEBVs in relation to the EBVs. Thus, genomic information could allow us to more accurately estimate the relationships between animals and improve estimates of heritability and the accuracy of breeding values by ssGBLUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wei
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China;
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Hanpeng Luo
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bingru Zhao
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Kechuan Tian
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (X.H.); (Y.W.); Tel.: +86-1590-900-1963 (K.T.); +86-1399-999-6861 (X.H.); +86-1580-159-5851 (Y.W.)
| | - Xixia Huang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China;
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (X.H.); (Y.W.); Tel.: +86-1590-900-1963 (K.T.); +86-1399-999-6861 (X.H.); +86-1580-159-5851 (Y.W.)
| | - Yachun Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Correspondence: (K.T.); (X.H.); (Y.W.); Tel.: +86-1590-900-1963 (K.T.); +86-1399-999-6861 (X.H.); +86-1580-159-5851 (Y.W.)
| | - Xuefeng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Yuezhen Tian
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Jiang Di
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Xinming Xu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Weiwei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Hanikezi Tulafu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Maerziya Yasen
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of Xinjiang Cashmere and Wool Sheep, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830011, China (J.D.)
| | - Yajun Zhang
- Xinjiang Gonaisi Fine Wool Sheep-Breeding Farm, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture 835800, China
| | - Wensheng Zhao
- Xinjiang Gonaisi Fine Wool Sheep-Breeding Farm, Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture 835800, China
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Massender E, Brito LF, Cánovas A, Baes CF, Kennedy D, Schenkel FS. A genetic evaluation of growth, ultrasound, and carcass traits at alternative slaughter endpoints in crossbred heavy lambs. J Anim Sci 2019; 97:521-535. [PMID: 30500934 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic parameters were estimated for growth, ultrasound, and carcass traits in a Canadian crossbred heavy lamb population. Traits analyzed included birth, weaning, post-weaning, and ultrasound scanning weights; pre- and post-weaning average daily gain; ultrasonically measured eye muscle and fat depths; hot carcass weight; fat depth at the GR site (110 mm from the midline on the 12th rib); carcass conformation scores; saleable meat yield; price grid value; and total carcass value. The impact of three alternative slaughter endpoints (slaughter age, carcass weight, and carcass fatness) on genetic parameter estimates was also evaluated. In general, carcass traits were found to be moderately heritable, with heritability estimates ranging from 0.17 ± 0.02 for hot carcass weight at a constant slaughter age to 0.34 ± 0.02 for average carcass conformation score at a constant carcass weight. Heritability estimates were similar when observations were adjusted to alternative slaughter endpoints, but for some traits, phenotypic variance and genetic correlation estimates differed. Genetic correlations between carcass traits and growth and ultrasound traits were typically favorable. Ultrasonically measured eye muscle depth and fat depth were found to be moderately to strongly positively correlated with hot carcass weight (0.33 ± 0.15 to 0.71 ± 0.19) and fat depth at the GR site (0.38 ± 0.14 to 0.74 ± 0.12), respectively, reaffirming the usefulness of selection on ultrasound traits to improve carcass yield and quality. Genetic correlations among carcass traits were generally favorable, with the exception of moderate unfavorable positive genetic correlations between fat depth at the GR site and primal cut carcass conformation scores (0.31 ± 0.05 to 0.60 ± 0.05). Overall, the results of this research suggest that there is potential to improve carcass yield and quality through genetic selection and provides the population-specific genetic parameter estimates needed for the genetic evaluation of carcass traits in the Canadian sheep population. Nevertheless, the optimal endpoint for carcass trait genetic evaluations will need to be further investigated, considering both the current findings and additional information on production practices in the industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Massender
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luiz F Brito
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine F Baes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Delma Kennedy
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Elora, Ontario, Canada
| | - Flavio S Schenkel
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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