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Improving the measurement precision of carcass traits and muscularity in hill breeds using Computer Tomography - impact on maternal performance and lamb survival

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

J. Conington ,
N. Lambe ,
P. Amer ,
S. Bishop ,
K. McLean ,
G. Simm  and
L. Bünger
J. Conington*
Affiliation:
SAC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
N. Lambe
Affiliation:
SAC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
P. Amer
Affiliation:
Abacus Biotech Ltd., Dunedin, New Zealand
S. Bishop
Affiliation:
Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
K. McLean
Affiliation:
SAC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
G. Simm
Affiliation:
SAC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
L. Bünger
Affiliation:
SAC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
*
Email:jo.conington@sac.ac.uk
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Extract

Breeding indices that combine carcass and maternal performance traits have been tested in practice and result in significant improvements in lamb growth. However, subjective carcass grades for fatness and conformation did not differ as a result of 7 years of selection on the index (Conington et al., 2006). Instrumental grading systems with the potential to objectively and accurately predict carcass composition and muscularity using video image scanning (VIA) may become standard in the UK for lamb carcass grading in the future. The use of computer tomography (CT) scanning of lambs in sheep breeding programmes is likely to better predict the carcass and prime cut VIA-assessed traits and hence lead to accelerated progress in carcass traits. This paper assesses the impact of including CT-derived carcass traits in breeding programmes for hill sheep and the consequences on traits related to maternal traits and lamb survival.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2008 , 2008 , pp. 21
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2008

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References

Conington, J. Bishop, S.C., Lambe, N., Bunger, L. and Simm, G. (2006) Animal Science. 82: 4: 445–453 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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