Genetic Correlation between Live Body Measurements and Loin Production in Hanwoo Steers

Abstract Text: Growth, carcass and retail cut yield records from a total of 1,428 Hanwoo steers on progeny testing were analyzed to estimate heritability and genetic relationships among them. Four different models with different covariates were compared. Age at slaughter was not effective to account for individual differences in body composition. Carcass weight or backfat thickness was better to do this. Estimates of heritability were higher from models with backfat thickness as linear covariates. The estimates for dressing percentage, retail cut percentage, cut ratio of loin and cut ratio of sirloin were 0.35, 0.31, 0.34, and 0.42. Genetic correlation coefficients between body weights, linear measurements and carcass cut ratios were small not enough to make indirect selection feasible. But the patterns of correlation shifted by choice of linear covariates, carcass weight or backfat thickness.

Keywords:

Hanwoo

linear measurement

genetic correlation