Multibreed comparisons of British cattle. Variation in relative growth rate, relative food intake and food conversion efficiency

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn a multibreed experiment in which 292 heifers from 25 breeds were given a single complete pelleted diet ad libitum, body weight and food intake were recorded every 2 weeks. Relative growth rate, relative food intake and food conversion efficiency were calculated as the ratio of weight gain to body weight, food intake to body weight and weight gain to food intake respectively. The traits were measured over 12-week intervals from 12 to 72 weeks of age, and also over longer intervals of 24, 36, 48 and 60 weeks, each beginning at 12 weeks of age. Relative growth rate and food conversion efficiency declined continuously with increasing age, whereas relative food intake increased to a maximum in the 24- to 36-week period and then declined continuously.The between-breed genetic coefficient of variation (CVb) for relative food intake was very stable at about 0·04 whether measured over 12-week or longer intervals, whereas the CVVs for relative growth rate and food conversion efficiency were usually higher when measured over 12-week intervals compared with longer intervals. For the entire period from 12 to 72 weeks, the CVb was estimated as 0·029 for relative growth rate, 0·040 for relative food intake and 0·034 for food conversion efficiency. The corresponding intraclass correlations (t2) measuring the between-breed variation as a proportion of the total variation were estimated as 0·08, 0·18 and 0·15. Within-breed variation was thus much greater than between-breed variation for all three traits. Using published estimates of within-breed heritabilities, the parameters g21 measuring the between-breed genetic variation as a proportion of the total genetic variation, and g22, measuring the between-breed genetic variation as a proportion of the immediately selectable genetic variation, were estimated as 0·28 and 0·61 for food conversion efficiency and 0·25 and 0·57 for relative growth rate. Thus, for all three traits, despite their low CVb and t2 values, between-breed selection would be useful prior to within-breed selection.