Weik Franziska, Hickson Rebecca E, Morris Stephen T, Garrick Dorian J, Archer Jason A
School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
AbacusBio Ltd., P.O. Box 5585, Dunedin 9058, New Zealand.
Animals (Basel). 2021 Dec 23;12(1):25. doi: 10.3390/ani12010025.
Research has shown that enhancing finishing performance in beef cows is feasible; however, any adverse impact of selection strategies for finishing performance on the performance of the maternal herd should be taken into account. The aim of this research was to examine the inheritance of growth, ultrasound and carcass traits in finishing beef cattle and to evaluate their correlations with maternal performance traits. Data were collected from a nationwide progeny test on commercial New Zealand hill country farms comprising a total of 4473 beef cows and their progeny. Most finishing traits were moderately to highly heritable (0.28-0.58) with the exception of meat or fat colour and ossification (0.00-0.12). Ultrasound scan traits had high genetic correlations with corresponding traits measured at slaughter (r = 0.53-0.95) and may be used as a selection tool for improved genetic merit of the beef carcass. Fat content determined via ultrasound scanning in the live animal or at slaughter in finishing cattle is positively genetically correlated with rebreeding performance (r = 0.22-0.39) in female herd replacements and negatively correlated with mature cow live weight (r = -0.40 to -0.19). Low-magnitude associations were observed between the genetic merit for carcass fat traits with body condition in mature cows.
研究表明，提高肉牛母牛的育肥性能是可行的；然而，育肥性能选择策略对母系群体性能的任何不利影响都应予以考虑。本研究的目的是研究育肥肉牛生长、超声和胴体性状的遗传情况，并评估它们与母系性能性状的相关性。数据来自新西兰全国范围内对商业山地农场进行的后代测试，共涉及4473头肉牛母牛及其后代。除肉色或脂肪颜色以及骨化程度（0.00 - 0.12）外，大多数育肥性状具有中等至高的遗传力（0.28 - 0.58）。超声扫描性状与屠宰时测量的相应性状具有高度遗传相关性（r = 0.53 - 0.95），可作为提高牛肉胴体遗传品质的选择工具。育肥牛活体或屠宰时通过超声扫描测定的脂肪含量与后备母牛群的再繁殖性能呈正遗传相关（r = 0.22 - 0.39），与成年母牛体重呈负相关（r = -0.40至 -0.19）。成年母牛的胴体脂肪性状遗传品质与体况之间存在低强度关联。
