Individual animal model estimates of genetic parameters for reproduction traits of landrace pigs performance tested in a commercial nucleus herd

Abstract

Abstract Individual animal model restricted maximum likelihood was used to estimate genetic parameters for number of piglets born, number born alive, total litter weight, average piglet weight and gestation length for a commercial Landrace population undergoing selection for performance test traits. Estimates of heritabilities and repeatabilities (around 0·1 and 0·2, respectively) for number born and number born alive are in line with other published results. Heritabilities around 0·2 and repeatabilities around 0·3 were observed for average piglet weight and gestation length, while for litter weight these values were between 0·11 and 0·15 for heritabilities and around 0·2 for repeatabilities. Estimates of common litter of birth effects and maternal genetic effects were very low across all traits analysed.