Genetic parameters for growth and feed efficiency in weaner versus yearling Charolais bulls

2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 471 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Arthur ◽  
G. Renand ◽  
D. Krauss
Keyword(s):  
Feed Intake ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Residual Feed Intake ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Progeny Test ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Total N

Data on young Charolais bulls were used to evaluate the effect of age of dam, and provide genetic parameter estimates for growth and feed efficiency traits in weaners compared with yearlings. Records on 510 performance test bulls born from 1985 to 1989 and 792 progeny test bulls born from 1988 to 1997 were used, plus available pedigree information (total n = 5493). After weaning (approximately 225 days of age), progeny test bulls were housed in barns and tested until 15 months for all bulls and 19 months of age for half of the bulls. From the records, the test period was artificially partitioned into a weaner and a yearling test. Both tests were for 140 days, with the weaner test commencing at approximately 274 days of age (6–8 weeks after weaning), and the yearling test commencing at approximately 430 days of age. For each test (weaner or yearling), average daily gain, daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio (feed intake per unit weight gain), and residual feed intake (feed intake net of the expected requirements for growth and maintenance) were calculated. Liveweights at 12 and 18 months of age were also studied. Age of dam effect was significant (P < 0.05) for weight at 12 and 18 months of age, and for all weaner traits except residual feed intake. All the traits studied were moderately heritable (0.20–0.46) except for feed conversion ratio in yearlings (0.10). Genetic correlations for the same traits measured in weaners and later in yearlings were less than unity (0.42–0.95), with the 3 highest correlations obtained for weight (0.950.03), feed intake (0.900.07), and residual feed intake (0.750.12). Therefore, for genetic improvement purposes, traits measured in weaners should be considered different from those measured in yearlings, except for weight and feed intake. However, the medium to very high genetic correlations between weaner and yearling tests for most of the traits studied indicate that selection based on weaners will have a positive correlated response in yearlings and vice versa.

Daily methane emissions and emission intensity of grazing beef cattle genetically divergent for residual feed intake

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 627 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. Velazco ◽  
R. M. Herd ◽  
D. J. Cottle ◽  
R. S. Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Feed Intake ◽  
Emission Intensity ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Residual Feed Intake ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Breeding Value ◽  
Dry Matter Intake ◽  
Feed Conversion

As daily methane production (DMP; g CH4/day) is strongly correlated with dry matter intake (DMI), the breeding of cattle that require less feed to achieve a desired rate of average daily gain (ADG) by selection for a low residual feed intake (RFI) can be expected to reduce DMP and also emission intensity (EI; g CH4/kg ADG). An experiment was conducted to compare DMP and EI of Angus cattle genetically divergent for RFI and 400-day weight (400dWT). In a 6-week grazing study, 64 yearling-age cattle (30 steers, 34 heifers) were grazed on temperate pastures, with heifers and steers grazing separate paddocks. Liveweight (LW) was monitored weekly and DMP of individual cattle was measured by a GreenFeed emission monitoring unit in each paddock. Thirty-nine of the possible 64 animals had emission data recorded for 15 or more days, and only data for these animals were analysed. For these cattle, regression against their mid-parent estimated breeding value (EBV) for post-weaning RFI (RFI-EBV) showed that a lower RFI-EBV was associated with higher LW at the start of experiment. Predicted dry matter intake (pDMI), predicted DMP (pDMP) and measured DMP (mDMP) were all negatively correlated with RFI-EBV (P < 0.05), whereas ADG, EI, predicted CH4 yield (pMY; g CH4/kg DMI) were not correlated with RFI-EBV (P > 0.1). Daily CH4 production was positively correlated with animal LW and ADG (P < 0.05). The associations between ADG and its dependent traits EI and pMY and predicted feed conversion ratio (kg pDMI/kg ADG) were strongly negative (r = –0.82, –0.57 and –0.85, P < 0.001) implying that faster daily growth by cattle was accompanied by lower EI, MY and feed conversion ratio. These results show that cattle genetically divergent for RFI do not necessarily differ in ADG, EI or pMY on pasture and that, if heavier, cattle with lower RFI-EBV can actually have higher DMP while grazing moderate quality pastures.

scholarly journals Copy number variation of amylase alpha 2B gene is associated with feed efficiency traits in Large White pigs--title not given--

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsukasa Yoshidomi ◽  
Kazuaki Tanaka ◽  
Tatsuya Takizawa ◽  
Satoshi Nikaido ◽  
Tetsuya Ito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Copy Number Variation ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Growing Pigs ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Large White ◽  
Number Variation

Copy number variation (CNV) of the AMY gene in humans has been enthusiastically studied for its association with starch digestibility and obesity. The alpha-amylase (AMY) is a major starch digestive enzyme in mammals. This study aimed to determine the association between CNV of the porcine pancreatic amylase (AMY2B) gene and feed efficiency. Improvement of feed efficiency in growing pigs is of great economic interest. We assayed the copy number of AMY2B by using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in a Large White pig population. We identified three genotypes for AMY2B CNVs, namely I/I (homozygotes of haplotype I; a chromosome with one copy of AMY2B), I/II (heterozygotes of haplotype I and II; a chromosome with two copies) and II/II (homozygotes of haplotype II). We tested the genotypes of the parental generation consisting of six males, 21 females and 265 offspring piglets to validate the AMY2B CNV genotyping. With very few mistyping exceptions, copy numbers of AMY2B were transmitted to piglets in segregation ratios following Mendelian inheritance. Finally, we performed an association analysis between the CNV of the AMY2B gene and feed efficiency traits in 207 uncastrated male pigs. The generalised linear model analysis showed the significant effects of AMY2B CNV genotype on average daily feed intake, total feed intake and feed conversion ratio during growth from 30 kg to 100 kg body weight. However, it was not associated with average daily gain, backfat thickness and loin eye muscle area. Individuals with the genotype I/I had about 76.6 ± 27.1 g lower average daily feed intake, 5.35 ± 1.90 kg lower total feed intake and 0.089 8 ± 0.026 5 lower feed conversion ratio than individuals with I/II and II/II genotypes. Thus, AMY2B CNV has the potential to be an effective genetic marker that could reduce feed costs for pig farming.  

scholarly journals Blood cell and metabolic profile of Nellore bulls and their correlations with residual feed intake and feed conversion ratio

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Henrique de Almeida Santana ◽  
Paulo Rossi Junior ◽  
Rodrigo de Almeida ◽  
Amanda Massaneira de Souza Schuntzemberger
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Residual Feed Intake ◽  
Degradation Process ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Fat Thickness ◽  
Blood Urea Level ◽  
Synthesis And Degradation

Due to the potential metabolic changes related to the residual feed intake (RFI), this study investigated the correlation of traditional RFI (RFI1), RFI adjusted for final rump fat thickness (RFI2) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) with the metabolic and blood profiles, as well as determined the possible different classes of RFI1 and RFI2. For this purpose, 46 Nellore bulls, 22 month-old and 411kg of weight at the beginning of the study were used. The animals were fed with the same diet for 84 days, and blood samples were collected every 21 days for evaluation of serum metabolites and blood cell profiles. No significant correlations were found between FCR and metabolic or blood traits, although there was a significant correlation between RFI1 and urea serum concentration. There were also differences between the RFI classes for creatinine, in which more efficient animals showed higher values. The RFI2 did not correlate with any metabolic and blood cell variable, but young bulls with smaller RFI2 had a smaller number of eosinophils when compared to animals with higher RFI2. These results suggest that animals with a high RFI can have greater energy expenditure due to protein synthesis and degradation process, resulting in a larger blood urea level.

scholarly journals 434 Late-Breaking: Expression of Growth hormone Gene (GH) and Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-2) in metabolic tissues of pigs are affected by unconventional dietary feed sources

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 42-43
Author(s):  
Ufuoma G Sorhue ◽  
Ikenna Omeje ◽  
Ifeanyichukwu udeh ◽  
Adimabua M Moemeka ◽  
Raphael E Onainor
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Growth Hormone Gene ◽  
Feed Conversion

Abstract This study was conducted to examine the growth performance and expression patterns of growth hormone gene and insulin-like growth factor in metabolic tissues of pigs fed different unconventional feed sources. A total of 45 growing pigs were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments at 9 animals per treatment and 3 animals per replicate. Treatment one (T1) comprise of whole maize (WM) which served as the control, T2: brewers dried grain (BDG), T3: cassava peel meal (CPM), T4: plantain peel meal (PPM) and T5: corn husk meal (CHM) at 35% inclusion in the diet. Data collected and analyzed includes; initial body weight (IBW), final body weight (FBW), average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily weight gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed efficiency (FE). At the end of the feeding trial, three animals per treatment (one animal per replicate) were slaughtered; the duodenum and liver were collected and stored using RNALater prior to RNA extraction. Real-time qPCR was performed in 40cycles using the PowerUp SYBR Green reagent and analysed using the Delta-Delta Ct method. All data were subjected to analysis of variance in a completely randomized design. The results showed that the treatment diets had effect on growth performance with significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) observed for average final weight, average total weight gain, average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and feed efficiency while the initial weight were not significantly different (P &gt; 0.05). IGF-2 was differentially expressed in the liver and duodenum across treatments while significant differences were not observed in the expression pattern of the growth hormone gene in both tissues. This study showed promise for the use of unconventional feeding stuffs in pig feeding and reveals that genes influencing performance characters are differentially expressed in relation to the source of unconventional feeds used in compounding pig diet.

scholarly journals The Effects of Feed Restriction and Isolated or Group Rearing on the Measurement of Individual Feed Intake and Estimation of Feed Conversion Ratio in Juvenile Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for Selective Breeding Purposes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Rodde ◽  
Marc Vandeputte ◽  
Trong Quoc Trinh ◽  
Vincent Douchet ◽  
Marc Canonne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feed Intake ◽  
Oreochromis Niloticus ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Nile Tilapia ◽  
Selective Breeding ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Breeding Programs ◽  
The Gift

Accurately measuring the phenotype at the individual level is critical to the success of selective breeding programs. Feed efficiency is a key sustainability trait and is typically approached through feed conversion ratio (FCR). This requires measurements of body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI), the latter being technically challenging in fish. We assessed two of the principal methods for measuring feed intake in fish over consecutive days: (1) group rearing 10 fish per group and video recording the meals and (2) rearing fish individually on a restricted ration. Juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strain and the Cirad strain were entered into the study (128 GIFT and 109 Cirad). The GIFT strain were reared over three consecutive periods of 7 days each under different feeding, recording, and rearing scenarios (i) in groups fed an optimal ration (g100) or (ii) fed a 50% restricted ration (g50) both with video records of all meals and (iii) reared in isolation and fed a 50% restrictive ration. The Cirad strain were tested similarly but only for scenarios (i) and (iii). All fish were fed twice daily with a calculated ration. Correlations showed the same trends for the GIFT and the Cirad strains. For the GIFT strain, correlations were positive and significant for BWG and FI measured in scenarios (i) and (ii), 0.49 and 0.63, respectively, and FI measured in scenarios (i) and (iii) (0.50) but not for BWG measured in scenarios (i) and (iii) (0.29, NS). The phenotypic correlation estimated for FCR between scenarios (i) and (ii) with fish fed an optimal or a 50% restricted ration was low and not significant (0.22). Feed Conversion Ratio for GIFT fish reared in groups or in isolation and fed with a restricted ration [scenarios (ii) and (iii)] were not significantly correlated either. Social interactions between fish, potentially impacting their efficiency, may explain the results. Therefore, selective breeding programs seeking to improve feed efficiency will need to carefully plan the feeding rate and the rearing system used to estimate FCR in order to optimize selection for the targeted production system.

scholarly journals Growth indices, haematological and serum biochemical response of weaned rabbits fed growth promoters

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
E. O. Ewuola ◽  
B. A. Omoniyi ◽  
J. O. Omotoso
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Feed Intake ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Nutrient Digestibility ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Growth Promoters ◽  
Serum Biochemical ◽  
Dietary Treatments

The use of feed additives and plant extracts in rabbit husbandry offers an acceptable way to improve welfare, health and meat quality of rabbits as alternative to the use of antibiotics. In a six-week feeding trial, growth rate, nutrient digestibility, haematology and serum biochemical indices of weaned rabbits fed dietary prebiotics and probiotics as natural growth promoters were investigated. Thirty–two weaned crossbred rabbits of 6–week old with average weight of 446.75±32.1g were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments. Diet 1 served as the control without test ingredients while diets 2 (prebiotics-Biotronic®at 4kg/ton), 3 (probiotics- Biovet®-YC at 500g/ton) and 4 (symbiotics: Biotronic® SE and Biovet®-YC) were other treatments. Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency, nutrient digestibility, haematological and serum biochemical variables were monitored. The design of the experiment was a completely randomized design. Feed intake was similar among dietary treatments while weight gain of rabbits fed diets 1, 2 and 3 was the same but significantly (p<0.05) higher than rabbits fed diet 4. Feed conversion ratio was not significantly influenced by the treatments. Feed efficiency was significantly (p<0.05) higher in rabbits fed symbiotic supplemented diets compared to others. The dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ash, nitrogen free extracts and ether extract digestibility were significantly (p<0.05) higher in rabbits fed diets 2 and 3 than those on diets 4 and the control. Packed cell volume and haemoglobin were significantly (p<0.05) higher in rabbits fed diets 3 and 4 than diets 1 and 2. Erythrocyte and leukocyte count were not significantly different among the treatments. Total protein, albumin and globulin examined revealed that they were not significantly influenced by the dietary treatments, however, alkaline phosphatase was significantly (p<0.05) higher in rabbits fed test diets than the control. Biotronic®SE and Biovet® -YC in this study had a potential to enhance growth in rabbit when used as feed additive without any adverse effect on health status of the animal.

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