Genetic improvement of Canadian lamb carcass yield, quality and growth traits

在加拿大羔羊业中，屠体产量和品质特征具有相当重要的意义，因为它们直接关系到供应链的生产效率、经济盈利能力和消费者对国内产品的选择。然而，对加拿大品种和加工系统的羔羊屠体产量和品质性状的商业性能和遗传学的大规模评估尚未进行。本研究旨在对商品羔羊的屠体产量、脂肪深度和构象的表型和遗传基础进行基准测试，并考虑与早期生长、超声波测量和其他重要经济生产和繁殖性状的遗传关系。目的是在商品化羔羊育种中寻找最佳的选择方法，以提高羔羊的屠宰产量和品质。将研究魁北克分级屠宰计划中加工超过2.5年的商业羔羊的屠体重量、背脂深度、构象分数、屠宰年龄和单个市场价格的数据。这些数据可以与加拿大绵羊遗传评估系统(CSGES)数据库中的系谱和早期生活记录联系起来。将进行定量遗传分析，以确定这些性状的遗传力和遗传相关性。这些参数将被用来预测选择性育种如何提高羔羊身体的产量和质量，以及这些特征与早期生长和超声波测量的关系。更好地了解羔羊屠体产量和质量的遗传基础将使该行业能够开发出更高效、更优质的动物，增加商业水平的收入和整个行业的盈利能力，同时还可以提高消费产品的质量。

In the Canadian lamb industry, carcass yield and quality traits are of considerable importance because these relate directly supply chain production efficiency, economic profitability and consumer choice of domestic products. However, a large-scale evaluation of commercial performance and genetics of lamb carcass yield and quality traits has yet to be conducted for Canadian breeds and processing systems. This study seeks to benchmark phenotypes and examine genetic bases of carcass yield, fat depth and conformation in commercial lambs, and consider genetic relationships with early growth, ultrasound measurements and other economically important production and reproduction traits. The goal is to find optimal selection methods to improve carcass yield and quality in commercial lamb breeding programs. Data on carcass weight, backfat depth, conformation scores, slaughter age, and individual market prices from commercial lambs processed over 2.5 years in Quebec graded carcass program will be studied. These data can be linked with pedigree and early life records in the Canadian Sheep Genetic Evaluation System (CSGES) database. Quantitative genetic analyses will be performed to determine heritability and genetic correlations for these traits. These parameters will be used to predict how selective breeding can improve lamb carcass yield and quality, and how these traits relate with early growth and ultrasound measurements. A greater understanding of the genetic basis of lamb carcass yield and quality will allow the industry to develop more efficient and quality animals, increasing income at the commercial level and overall industry profitability while also improving consumer product quality.