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Animal Sciences

1980

Heritability

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Inheritance Of Teat Number And Its Relationship To Maternal Traits In Swine, R. A. Pumfrey, R. K. Johnson, P. J. Cunningham, Dwane R. Zimmerman Jun 1980

Inheritance Of Teat Number And Its Relationship To Maternal Traits In Swine, R. A. Pumfrey, R. K. Johnson, P. J. Cunningham, Dwane R. Zimmerman

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

The relationship of teat number to seven measures of female reproduction was evaluated in the University of Nebraska Gene Pool population. Teat number was recorded for 7,513 pigs, ovulation rate for 2,794. gilts and litter size and weight at birth and weaning (42 days) for 789 gilts. Paternal half-sib and full-sib analyses were used to estimate heritabilities for each trait and to estimate the genetic and phenotypic correlations of teat number with the measures of reproduction. The direct response to selection for ovulation rate and the correlated response in teat number were also evaluated from the regressions of line differences …


The Relationships Between Plasma Progesterone And Lh And The Numbers Of Corpora Lutea And Embryos In Purebred And Crossbred Gilts, R. P. Wettemann, R. K. Johnson, I. T. Omtvedt Jun 1980

The Relationships Between Plasma Progesterone And Lh And The Numbers Of Corpora Lutea And Embryos In Purebred And Crossbred Gilts, R. P. Wettemann, R. K. Johnson, I. T. Omtvedt

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Relationships between plasma progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) and the numbers of corpora lutea and embryos were determined in 133 8-month-old purebred Duroc, Hampshire and Yorkshire gilts and two-breed crosses among the three breeds. The numbers of corpora lutea and normal embryos were determined at slaughteronday 30.8 ± .2 of pregnancy, and progesterone and LH were quantified in plasma obtained the previous day. Progesterone concentrations in plasma were influenced by sire (P<.10), breed of dam (P<.05) and breed of sire x breed of dam (P<.05). Hampshire gilts had higher concentrations of progesterone in plasma than did Durocs (P<.05) and Yorkshires (P<.01). None of the effects in the model was significant for LH. Plasma progesterone and LH had heritability estimates of .48 ± .41 and .29 ± .40, respectively. Most genetic and phenotypic correlations of plasma progesterone and LH with other traits were small. These data indicate that progesterone concentrations in plasma at 30 days of pregnancy are not a satisfactory predictor of the numbers of corpora lutea and embryos. The differences in plasma progesterone between breeds illustrate the need to consider the breed of gilts when selecting animals for the study of luteal function or physiological factors that may influence progesterone concentrations in plasma.