Genetic parameters for carcass cut weight in Irish beef cattle

Area of Science:

• Animal Genetics
• Quantitative Genetics
• Beef Cattle Breeding

Background:

• Understanding genetic variation in carcass composition is crucial for beef cattle breeding programs.
• Wholesale cut weights significantly impact the economic value of beef carcasses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate genetic parameters, including heritability and genetic correlations, for various wholesale beef cut weights.
• To assess the potential for genetic improvement of carcass traits in different cattle breeds.

Main Methods:

• Utilized univariate and bivariate mixed linear animal models on experimental and commercial datasets.
• Analyzed data from crossbred animals including Belgian Blue, Charolais, Limousin, Angus, Holstein, and Simmental breeds.
• Estimated heritability for cold carcass weight, conformation, fat, and individual cut weights, alongside phenotypic and genetic correlations.

Main Results:

• Moderate heritability estimates for cold carcass weight (>0.48) were observed in both datasets.
• Heritability for carcass conformation and fat grading varied between datasets, being higher in the commercial data (>0.63) than experimental (>0.33).
• Heritability for wholesale cut weights ranged from 0.03 to 0.86, with strong genetic correlations among cuts and moderate to high correlations with carcass weight.

Conclusions:

• Genetic selection for increased carcass weight is likely to increase individual cut weights.
• The genetic correlations being less than unity indicate that direct selection for high-value cuts can offer advantages in beef production.
• Findings support the development of breeding strategies targeting specific high-value cuts for enhanced economic returns.