title: Genetic relationship of body measurement traits at early age with carcass traits in Japanese black cattle.
abstract: Estimates of genetic parameters were obtained for body measurement traits of 648 animals at 4 months of age, of 545 at 8 months and carcass traits of 14 972 animals with the use of an animal model by the restricted maximum likelihood procedure. The estimated heritabilities for carcass traits were high (0.41 to 0.54). At 4 months the estimated direct heritabilities for body measurement traits were moderate to high (0.28 to 0.64), except for chest width (0.19); at 8 months they were also moderate to high (0.23 to 0.49), except for chest depth and chest width (0.18 and 0.06, respectively). Maternal heritabilities for all body measurement traits were low at both ages. The results indicate that because of their moderate direct genetic correlations with body measurement traits, carcass weight, rib thickness and subcutaneous fat thickness can be improved; however, rib eye area and beef marbling standard show little such possibility considering their correlation with body measurement traits.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Division of Agricultural and Life Science, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tahmina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Munim
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oikawa
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ibi
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kunieda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008460:Meat; D008962:Models, Theoretical