| Popis: |
Body weight and body metrics of newborn piglets reflect their level of development. We studied a Large White population raised in a single experimental herd. Survival and growth performance of 10,101 piglets originating from 689 litters were analysed. In 440 of these litters, 1,320 piglets contrasting for birth weight were recorded for body length and circumference. At piglet level, the estimated direct and maternal heritability values were were h²d=0.02 and h²m=0.13 for birth weight, h²d=0.65 and h²m=0.21 for the ponderal index and h²d=0.23 and h²m=0.01 for the ratio of circumference to body length. The genetic correlation between the ponderal index and litter size and gestation length tended to be negative. |
