942
Genetic association between leg conformation in young pigs and longevity of Yorkshire sows

Thursday, August 21, 2014
Posters (The Westin Bayshore)
Hong Thu Le , Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Katja Nilsson , Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
Elise Norberg , Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
Nils Lundeheim , Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
Abstract Text: Direct selection for improved longevity might be ineffective due to late in life information on this trait. This study aims at studying genetic correlations between leg conformation traits scored in young Yorkshire pigs in nucleus herds and longevity traits of purebred Yorkshire sows in multiplier herds. Two datasets were available: 1) on 97,533 animals with information on movement and overall leg score recorded at performance testing and, 2) on 12,444 sows with information on longevity. The longevity traits were: stayability to survive up to second or third parity (STAY12/STAY13); length of productive life (LPL); number of litters (NoL); lifetime born alive (LBA) and lifetime total born (LTB). The estimated heritabilities ranged from 0.05 to 0.16. Almost all estimated genetic correlations between conformation and longevity traits were significantly favorable (better scores - better longevity). Movement showed higher correlations with longevity (0.36-0.53) compared with overall leg score (0.24-0.33). 

Keywords:

Lameness

Stayability

See more of: Posters: Swine Breeding (Group 2)
See more of: Species Breeding: Swine
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