Estimates Of Genetic Parameters For Daily Gain and Carcass Traits for Japanese Large White Swine

Purdue University 1998 Swine Research Report. In commercial pig breeding, selection for increased growth rate and reduced backfat thickness has been commonly practiced. Selection decisions have been based on estimated breeding values (EBVs) or expected progeny differences (EPDs) for these traits. An optimum selection strategy should aim at increasing the rate of growth and improving carcass composition simultaneously. However, combined selection for increased daily gain and reduced backfat thickness may lead to a decreased rate of genetic progress, if genetic antagonisms exist between daily gain and the carcass traits. It is therefore imperative to estimate genetic parameters for daily gain and carcass traits, which would then be used for calculating EBVs and EPDs. This study presents estimates of heritabilities, and genetic and phenotypic correlations for daily gain and carcass traits for Japanese Large White swine.