Genetic Parameters of Growth Traits from a Joint Evaluation of Purebred and Crossbred Pigs

Sa？etak Authors analyzed average daily gain and lean meat percentage of the Pietrain (Pi), Duroc (Du) and their cross (PixDu); Pietrain (Pi) and Hampshire (Ha) and the cross (PixHa) using the national database for the period of 1997-2010. The heritability estimates for average daily gain (0.20±0.02, 0.24±0.02, 0.25±0.03, 0.37±0.06, 0.37±0.02 for Pi, Du, PixDu, Ha, PixHa, respectively); and lean meat percentage (0.17±0.02, 0.15±0.02, 0.13±0.02, 0.22±0.06, 0.20±0.02 for Pi, Du, PixDu, Ha, PixHa, respectively) were low. Genetic correlation between the purebreds and the crossbreds ranged from moderately high to high for average daily gain (0.93±0.15, 0.85±0.12, 0.56±0.14, 0.75±0.12) and from moderate to moderately high for lean meat percentage (0.65±0.16, 0.56±0.16, -0.38±0.17, 0.48±0.20) for Pi – PixDu, Du – PixDu, Ha – PixHa, Pi – PixHa, respectively. Based on the results the selection of the purebred parents for crossbred pigs can be based on the performance of their purebred breeding values of average daily gain. On the contrary for lean meat percentage the crossbred breeding values of the purebred pigs can also be used to select the best purebred pigs for crossing