Correlated responses in reproductive and carcass traits to selection for 200-day weight in Landrace pigs.

Abstract

Correlated responses in reproductive and carcass traits from a line of Landrace pigs selected for increased 200-d weight along with a randomly selected control line were studied in 195 litters (109 select, 86 control) and 285 pigs (132 select, 153 control). Reproductive and maternal traits studied included litter sizes born, born alive, and alive at 21 d and litter weights at birth and at 21 d. Carcass traits studied were carcass length, longissimus area, average backfat thickness, 10th-rib backfat thickness, specific gravity, weights of closely trimmed ham, loin, and shoulder, belly weight, subjective scoring of the longissimus muscle for color and marbling, estimated percentage of muscle, and lean growth. Total weighted cumulative selection differential for 200-d weight over six generations was 88.7 kg. The realized heritability for 200-d weight was .26 +/- .08, and the change in 200-d weight was 4.2 +/- 1.3 kg per generation. None of the regression coefficients for reproductive traits differed significantly from zero. Ham weight, belly weight, marbling score, and lean growth increased by .069 +/- .027 kg, .051 +/- .020 kg, .045 +/- .012 points, and .0042 +/- .0007 kg/d, respectively, per generation. Specific gravity decreased by -.00063 +/- .00023 per generation in response to the selection for 200-d weight. The increase in lean growth in the select line was the result of an increased growth rate and not from an improvement in percentage of lean in carcasses from pigs from the select line.