Responses to selection for lean growth in sheep

This paper reports the selection responses achieved, and related results, following 9 years of index selection for lean growth in Suffolk sheep. The breeding goal of the index used comprised carcass lean weight and carcass fat weight at a constant age, with relative economic values of + 3 and –1 per kg. The selection criteria were live weight (LWT), ultrasonic fat depth (UFD) and ultrasonic muscle depth (UMD) adjusted to a constant age of 150 days. By year 9, responses in LWT, UFD and UMD in both sexes, as judged by the divergence between selection and control line performance, amounted to 4·88 kg, –1·1 mm and 2·8 mm respectively; these responses are between 7 and 15% of the overall means of the traits concerned. Although selection was originally on index scores based on phenotypic records, the retrospective analyses reported here used the mixed model applications of residual maximum likelihood to estimate parameters and best linear unbiased prediction to predict breeding values. The statistical model comprised fixed effects plus random effects accounting for direct additive, maternal additive and temporary environmental variation. Estimated genetic trends obtained by regressing estimated breeding values on year of birth were similar to annual responses estimated by comparing selection and control line means. Estimates of direct heritabilities were 0·054, 0·177, 0·286, 0·561 and 0·410 for birth weight (BWT), weaning weight (WWT), LWT, UFD and UMD respectively. Corresponding estimates of maternal heritabilities were 0·287, 0·205, 0·160, 0·083 and 0·164. Phenotypic correlations between all pairs of traits were positive and usually moderately high. There were low negative direct additive correlations between BWT and WWT, and between BWT and LWT, but higher positive maternal additive correlations between all other pairs of weight traits

Selection for lean growth in terminal sire sheep to produce leaner crossbred progeny.

A progeny test was designed to test whether genetic superiority for lean growth in terminal sires is expressed in their crossbred progeny when reared in a different environment. In each of 1986, 1987 and 1988, 22 Suffolk rams were chosen at the conclusion of an indoor, intensive performance testing regime on an index score that rated their propensity for lean growth, while constraining fat growth, at 150 days of age. Half of these rams had high index scores and half had low index scores. In each year, around 400 crossbred ewes were mated and the resulting lambs were finished on grass to one of three target live weights (35-5, 41-5, and 47-0 kg). Shoulder joints were dissected on 1505 lambs whilst half carcasses were dissected on 372 lambs. Double sampling techniques were then used to combine the data from the shoulder and half carcass more precisely to predict the lean, fat and bone weight and content in the carcass. With each increment in target live weight, the carcasses were heavier and had proportionally more fat. The progeny of high index rams consistently had 144 (s.e.d. 32) g more lean, 66 (s.e.d. 12) g more bone, and 186 (s.e.d. 32) g less fat in a 19-7 (s.e. 0-5) kg carcass than progeny of low index rams, from the double sampling procedure. This improved composition reflected a correlated response to ram selection on the index. One standard deviation increase in ram index score corresponded to 51 g more lean and 64 g less fat in the 20 kg carcass of their crossbred offspring. These results show that the use of rams with high lean index scores in a crossbreeding system will produce lambs with leaner carcasses. Visual appraisals of fat and conformation both increased as the weight and, consequently, the fatness of the carcass increased. Offspring of high index rams were consistently scored as less fat than offspring of low index rams. But, at the lighter weights (35-5 and 41-5 kg), they were also scored lower in conformation — in effect, a penalty for their higher genetic merit for lean growth