Estimates of Genetic Parameters for Growth Traits in Pig Crosses of Nigerian Indigenous and Exotic Breeds at Birth, Weaning and Maturity
V.M.O Okoro, U. E. Ogundu, I. C. Okoli, M. N. Opara, C.L. Okoro, E. N. Nwachukwu and S.N. Ibe
Date : 2013-06-24 Volume : 5

Crossbreeding in pigs to exploit heterosis is employed in commercial pig production to achieve better average performance of crossbred animals than their purebred counterparts. This study was aimed at evaluating genetic parameters of growth traits such as bodyweight (BW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG) and height at withers (HW) in crosses of Nigerian Indigenous (NI), Large White (LW) and Landrace (LR) breeds of pigs, as well as establishing the effects of the crosses, parity and sexes on the growth traits at birth, weaning and maturity. At birth, the crosses LWxLR and LRxLW were significantly highest (P<0.05) for BW, HG and HW while LWxNI was the least (P>0.05). Parity 2 was significantly higher for HW than parity 1.Sex had no significant effect. At weaning, LRxLW was significantly highest for BW, HG and HW while LWxNI was least. Parity 2 was also significantly higher than parity 1 for HW only, while sex had no significant effect. At maturity, NIxLR was significantly highest for BW while only LRxNI was highest for BL. However, NIxLR cross was significantly highest for HG and HW. Parity 2 was significantly higher than parity 1 for BW only, while sex had no significant effect on the growth traits. Heritabilities for BW at birth, weaning and maturity ranged from 0.15±0.14 to 0.45±0.21 while the morphometric traits ranged from 0.14±0.18 to 0.90±0.104. Genetic correlation between BW and morphometric traits ranged from -0.96±0.366 to 0.99±0.656 at birth, weaning and maturity, while phenotypic correlation ranged from 0.0008±0.0024 to 0.145±0.128 at birth weaning and maturity. Environmental correlation between BW and morphometric traits ranged from -0.21±0.254 to 0.96±0.61. This suggests that heritabilities of crossbred pigs involving Indigenous pigs was low at birth and weaning, but high at maturity; hence selection for replacement stock could be achieved better using records at maturity (140 days). Genetic correlations between BW and morphometric traits were high at birth, weaning and maturity, while at weaning and maturity, environmental correlation was very low to medium. However, phenotypic correlation analysis of BW and morphometric traits showed very low association. Hence, genetic selection for BW could be achieved using the measure of any of the morphometric traits at any stage of growth. 1368678125.php