Genetic and phenotypic parameters estimated from Nebraska specific-pathogen-free swine field records

Records collected during 1971 through 1979 from 101,606 hogs raised in 18 Nebraska Specific Pathogen Free herds were analyzed. Traits considered were backfat at 100 kg (BF), weight at 140 d of age (WT) and, in some analyses, number of live pigs/litter at birth (NBA). The phenotypic correlation of BF and WT, averaged across herds, was -.07. The correlations between BF and NBA and between WT and NBA were .04 and -.05, respectively. Average phenotypic standard deviations for BF, WT and NBA were 2.6 mm, 8.8 kg and 2.0 pigs. Estimates of the heritability of BF and WT were lower than most estimates reported from university research herds. Within breed, herd and sex estimates of heritability ranged from -.22 and .51 (unweighted mean = .16 +/- .025) for BF and ranged from -.28 to .49 (mean = .16 +/- .016) for WT. Estimates of the genetic correlation between BF and WT were extremely variable (mean = -.62 +/- 14.3, range = -9.42 to 1.30) among breed-herd-sex subclasses.