Real-time ultrasound : possible uses in genetic prediction (1998)

Ultrasound found its first applications in livestock research in the 1950s. Since that time, the great strides that have been made in ultrasound research have benefited both human medicine and the livestock industry. This publication concentrates on the use of ultrasound to predict carcass merit, specifically genetic prediction for seedstock producers.New January 1998

Calving difficulty in beef cattle

"This publication was originally prepared as a Beef Improvement Federation Fact Sheet. It was written by Harlan D. Ritchie, Michigan State University, and edited by Daryl Strohbehn, extension beef specialist, and Gene Hettel, extension communications specialist, Iowa State University."--Page 1."Calving difficulty (dystocia) can increase calf losses, cow mortality, and veterinary and labor costs, as well as delay return to estrus and lower conception rates. In two studies at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, Nebraska, calf losses within 24 hours of birth averaged 4 percent for those born with little or no assistance compared with 16 percent for those requiring assistance. Calf mortality increased by 0.35 percent for every pound of increase in birth weight. In a Hereford herd at the Miles City, Montana, Experiment Station, 57 percent of all calf losses were reported to be due to dystocia."--Page 1.William O. Herring (Department of Animal Sciences)New 3/86, Reprinted 2/96/5

Pelvic measurements and calving difficulty (2005)

Although researchers agree that birth weight is the most important measurable trait affecting calving difficulty, there is evidence that the size and shape of the pelvis also affect a heifer's ability to calve.New 2/97/5M, PDF indicia updated 4/05

Pelvic measurements and calving difficulty

"This publication was adapted and revised from "Pelvic Measurements for Reducing Calving Difficulty," by Gene H. Deutscher, NebGuide G88-895, of the Nebraska Cooperative Extension Service, University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The tables contain Nebraska data."--Page 3."Although researchers agree that birth weight is the most important measurable trait affecting calving difficulty, there is evidence that the size and shape of the pelvis also affect a heifer's ability to calve."--Page 1.David J. Patterson and William O. Herring (Department of Animal Sciences)New 2/97/5M, PDF indicia updated 4/05

Management considerations in beef heifer development (2002)

Because decisions about selecting and managing replacement beef heifers can affect the future productivity of an entire cowherd, programs to develop breeding heifers have focused on the physiological processes that influence puberty. The timing of puberty is critical to whether a heifer remains in the herd and whether lifetime productivity is optimized.New 6/97; Reviewed and reprinted 10/02/5M

Pelvic measurements and calving difficulty (1997)

Although researchers agree that birth weight is the most important measurable trait affecting calving difficulty, there is evidence that the size and shape of the pelvis also affect a heifer's ability to calve.New February 1997 -- Extension web site

Genetic variation in recombination rate in the pig

Background: Meiotic recombination results in the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes. Recombination rate varies between different parts of the genome, between individuals, and is influenced by genetics. In this paper, we assessed the genetic variation in recombination rate along the genome and between individuals in the pig using multilocus iterative peeling on 150,000 individuals across nine genotyped pedigrees. We used these data to estimate the heritability of recombination and perform a genome-wide association study of recombination in the pig. Results: Our results confirmed known features of the recombination landscape of the pig genome, including differences in genetic length of chromosomes and marked sex differences. The recombination landscape was repeatable between lines, but at the same time, there were differences in average autosome-wide recombination rate between lines. The heritability of autosome-wide recombination rate was low but not zero (on average 0.07 for females and 0.05 for males). We found six genomic regions that are associated with recombination rate, among which five harbour known candidate genes involved in recombination: RNF212, SHOC1, SYCP2, MSH4 and HFM1. Conclusions: Our results on the variation in recombination rate in the pig genome agree with those reported for other vertebrates, with a low but nonzero heritability, and the identification of a major quantitative trait locus for recombination rate that is homologous to that detected in several other species. This work also highlights the utility of using large-scale livestock data to understand biological processes.Open access funding provided by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The authors acknowledge the financial support from the BBSRC ISPG to The Roslin Institute BBS/E/D/30002275, from Grant Nos. BB/N015339/1, BB/L020467/1, BB/M009254/1, from Genus PLC, Innovate UK, and from Formas – a Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development Dnr 2016–01386