Body condition scores (BCS) and/or body weights (BWT) are often used as visual or tactile management tools to evaluate and improve reproductive competency in pasture-managed small ruminant animals. This study was designed relationships between BCS, BWT traits (number born alive weaned, litter size, birth weaning weights) 16 purebred Kiko, 11 Boer 7 Kiko x crossbred meat goat dams that were semi...

The objective of this study was to ascertain whether maternal additive genetic variance exists for within-litter variation in birth weight and for change in within-litter variation in piglet weight during suckling. A further objective was to estimate maternal genetic correlations of these two traits with mortality, birth weight, growth, and number of piglets born alive. Data were obtained from ...

Direct and maternal genetic and environmental variances and covariances were estimated for weaning weight and growth and maturing traits derived from the Brody growth curve. Data consisted of field records of weight measurements of 3,044 Angus cows and 29,943 weaning weight records of both sexes. Growth traits included weights and growth rates at 365 and 550 d, respectively. Maturing traits inc...

The efficiency of producing salable products in the pork industry is largely determined by costs associated with feed and by the amount and quality of lean meat produced. The objectives of this paper were 1) to explore heritability and genetic correlations for growth, feed efficiency, and real-time ultrasound traits using both pedigree and marker information and 2) to assess accuracy of genomic...

The present study investigated basic statistics for biometric traits as well as non-genetic factors that may affect these traits in the Moghani breed of sheep. The data-set was computed by using biometric records of the Moghani sheep breeding and raising station over a period of 15 years (1996 to 2012). Year of birth, month of birth, birth type and lamb's sex and dam permanent environment were ...

The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze causes of the variation in age at first mating in Swedish Landrace (L) and Swedish Yorkshire (Y) gilts. Production traits including growth rate from birth to 100kg body weight and backfat thickness at 100kg body weight were also studied. Data analyzed were obtained from 11 L and 11 Y nucleus herds and included gilts born during a 5-yea...