Linear classification scores in beef cattle as predictors of genetic merit for individual carcass primal cut yields1

Having access to early predictions of both the genetic merit and expected phenotypic performance of an individual or its progeny can contribute to more informed decision-making. The objective here was to evaluate the usefulness of routinely available subjectively scored linear conformation information on live animals to predict genetic merit for primal carcass cut yields of their relatives. Data on 6 muscular and 6 skeletal traits on 43,078 live animals were used; the weights of up to 14 primal cuts plus 3 groups of primal cuts of 31,827 cattle were also used. Genetic correlations between the linear scores and the primal cut weights were estimated using sire linear mixed models; correlations were estimated with or without phenotypic adjustment of the primal cut weights to a constant carcass weight. The genetic correlations between each of the muscular and skeletal linear type traits with each of the primal cut weights (not adjusted for carcass weight) were all positive with the exception of the correlations between both chest width and pelvic length with cuberoll. On average, the muscular type traits were more strongly correlated (on average 0.42) with the primal cut weights than the skeletal traits (on average 0.35). Moreover, the average of the genetic correlations between each of the 6 muscular traits with all 8 hindquarter traits was, on average, 10% to 18% stronger than the average of the genetic correlations between the same muscular traits with all 5 forequarter primal cuts. When adjusted for differences in carcass weight, the correlations between all linear scores and the carcass traits regressed to zero or became negative. The skeletal traits were, in general, weakly genetically correlated with the primal cuts adjusted to a common carcass weight. The average of the genetic correlation between the muscular type traits and the primal cuts adjusted for differences in carcass weight was only 0.09 with only 13 of the 84 pairwise correlations being stronger than 0.30; the genetic correlation between silverside with the muscular traits was all stronger than 0.30, whereas the majority of the muscular traits had a correlation stronger than 0.30 with the topside primal cut. In fact, the average of the genetic correlations between the topside and silverside cuts with all the muscular traits was 0.50 and 0.42, respectively, with none of the correlations being negative.