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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Genetics and Animal Breeding » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162061
Title: ESTIMATES OF GENETIC CORRELATIONS AMONG CARCASS TRAITS ADJUSTED TO DIFFERENT END POINTS

Author
item RIOS-UTRERA, A. - UNIV. OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
item Cundiff, Larry
item GREGORY, KEITH - ARS COLLABORATOR
item KOCH, ROBERT - RETIRED,UNIV. OF NEBRASKA
item DIKEMAN, MICHAEL - KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
item Koohmaraie, Mohammad
item Van Vleck, Lloyd

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2004
Publication Date: 7/26/2004
Citation: Rios-Utrera, A., Cundiff, L.V., Gregory, K.E., Koch, R.M., Dikeman, M.E., Koohmaraie, M., Van Vleck, L.D. 2004. Estimates of genetic correlations among carcass traits adjusted to different end points [abstract]. Journal of Animal Science 82(Suppl. 1) p. 450.

Interpretive Summary: No interpretive summary is required.

Technical Abstract: Carcass measurements of 1,664 serially slaughtered steers from 12 breeds (Red Poll, Hereford, Angus, Limousin, Braunvieh, Pinzgauer, Gelbvieh, Simmental, Charolais, MARC I, MARC II, and MARC III) were used to estimate genetic correlations among carcass traits adjusted to slaughter age, carcass weight or backfat thickness end points. Traits were carcass weight (CW), dressing % (DP), fat thickness (FT), longissimus area (LA), kidney pelvic heart fat % (KF), marbling (MS), yield grade (YG), predicted % of retail product (ER), retail product wt (RW), fat wt (FW), bone wt (BW), retail product % (RP), fat % (FP), and bone % (BP). The model included breed group, feed energy level, age of dam, year of birth, significant interactions, number of days on feed, and end point nested within breed (except age) as fixed effects, and genetic effect of animal and total maternal effect of dam as random effects. Genetic correlations, estimated by REML, for CW LA, FT RW, LA-KF, LA YG, LA ER, LA FW, LA-BW, LA RP, LA FP, KF RW, KF BW, ER RW and ER RP at constant age, wt, or fat thickness, respectively, were .32, --, and .51; .26, .77, and ; -.01, -.10, and .25; .71, .89, and .66; .68, .85, and .63; .16, -.51, and .22; .24, -.19, and .30; .47, .57, and .27; .44, -.43, and .18; .02, .48, and .15; .08, .55, and .04; .26, .80, and .01; and .72, .73, and .32. The magnitude and the sign of the genetic correlation changed across end points for many pairs of traits. Correlated responses to selection would differ depending on end point. Regardless of end point, FT was highly correlated with YG (.86, .85; common age and wt) and ER ( .85, .82; common age and wt), indicating that selection for reduced FT would improve YG and ER. Carcass quality, however, would be affected negatively because of the moderate genetic correlations (.34, .35; common age and wt) between MS and FT.