Genetic relationship of feed efficiency traits of bulls with growth and carcass traits of their progeny for Japanese Black (Wagyu) cattle

Abstract

Genetic parameters for feed efficiency traits of 740 Wagyu bulls and growth and carcass traits of 591 of their progeny, and the genetic relationship between the traits of bulls and their progeny were estimated with the residual maximum likelihood procedure. The estimations were made for the test periods of 140 days (77 bulls), 112 days (663 bulls) and 364 days (591 steer progeny). Feed efficiency traits of bulls included feed conversion ratio (FCR), phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI phe ) and genetic residual feed intake (RFI gen ). Progeny traits were bodyweight at the start of the test (BWS), bodyweight at finish (BWF), average daily gain (ADG), rib eye area (REA), marbling score (MSR), dressing percentage (DRS) and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT). The estimated heritability for MSR (0.52) was high and for BWS (0.35), BWF (0.40) and ADG (0.30) were moderate, whereas REA, DRS and SFT were low. Positive genetic correlations among BWS, BWF, ADG and SFT and negative genetic correlations between MSR and DRS and between REA and SFT were found. The genetic correlations between residual feed intake (RFI phe and RFI gen ) of bulls and bodyweights (BWS and BWF) of their progeny ranged from -0.27 to -0.61. Residual feed intake was positively correlated with REA and DRS and negatively correlated with MSR and SFT. No responses in ADG and weakly correlated responses in REA and DRS of progeny were found to select against feed efficiency traits of bulls. The present experiment provides evidence that selection against lower RFI (higher feed efficiency) would be better than selection against lower FCR for getting better correlated responses in bodyweights.

Estimation of effect of breeding bulls and genetic parameters on early growth performance of calves at farm and field levels

“…The present value (0.28±0.23) of genetic correlation between ADG and MWT was lower than value of 0.37±1.24 estimated by Aktar et al (2011), however, Hoque et al (2005 showed extremely higher result (0.96±0.09) than in the present study. The estimated heritability for ADG (0.30±0.10) simply agreed to the value observed by Hoque et al (2005) in Japanese Black bulls.…”

“…The correlation between RFI with BWT of the progeny was close to zero (0.06±0.18) and well comparable to the 0.08±0.22 established by Aktar et al (2011). Hoque et al (2005) established a correlation of bull RFI with body weights of their progeny were -0.33 at starting the test and -0.61 at finishing. Thus their conclusion was that a favorable negative genetic correlation between RFI and body weights of the progeny indicated the selection for lower RFI (higher feed efficiency) of bulls would lead to an increase in body weights of their progeny.…”

Relationship between body measurements, metabolic hormones, metabolites and residual feed intake in performancetested pedigree beef bulls

“…The positive correlation between F:G and RFI indicates that selection for either of these measures of feed efficiency will, on average, improve the other (Arthur et al, 2001b;Hennessy and Arthur, 2004). Positive phenotypic correlations ranging from 0.60 to 0.72 between RFI and DMI calculated with different breeds of cattle have been reported (Herd and Bishop, 2000;Hoque et al, 2005;Nkrumah et al, 2007). Similarly, in the present study the correlation between RFI and DMI indicates that Table 6 Characterization of metabolic hormones and metabolites at the end of the test period in animals with low, medium, and high residual feed intake.…”

Growth, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Small East African goats fed straw based diets

“…Dry matter conversion to body weight gain is a useful indicator of quality of feed and the ability of an animal to convert feeds to body tissues (Hoque et al, 2005). Dietary treatments used in the present study affected the feed conversion ratio (FCR).…”