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Genetic correlations between live yearling bull and steer carcass traits adjusted to different slaughter end points. 2. Carcass fat partitioning^1,2

Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1

³ Corresponding author: miller{at}uoguelph.ca

Partial carcass dissection data from 1,031 finished crossbred beef steers were used to calculate heritabilities and genetic correlations among subcutaneous, intermuscular, and body cavity fat percentage and marbling score adjusted to slaughter age-, HCW-, fat depth-, and marbling score-constant endpoints. Genetic correlations were also calculated among these fat partitions with live growth and ultrasound traits evaluated in yearling beef bulls (n = 2,172) and steer carcass measurements. Heritabilities of the different fat partitions ranged from 0.22 (marbling score-constant body cavity fat) to 0.46 (HCW-constant marbling score). Genetic correlations between subcutaneous fat and intermuscular fat (r_g = 0.16 to 0.32) and between intermuscular fat and body cavity fat (r_g = 0.38 to 0.50) were more highly associated than subcutaneous fat and body cavity fat (r_g = –0.08 to 0.05), indicating that fat depots are not under identical genetic control. Adjusting fat depots to different end points affected the magnitude but usually not the sign of the genetic correlations. Bull postweaning gain was associated with intermuscular (–0.24 to –0.35), body cavity (–0.24 to –0.29), and marbling fat (–0.24 to –0.39) in steers. Bull hip height was associated with body cavity (–0.20 to –0.29) and marbling fat (–0.20 to –0.47) in steers. Bull ultrasound fat depth was associated with subcutaneous (0.11 to 0.29), intermuscular (0.05 to 0.36), body cavity (0.27 to 0.49), and marbling fat (0.27 to 0.73) in steers. Bull ultrasound intramuscular fat percentage was associated with subcutaneous (–0.22 to –0.44) and intermuscular fat (–0.06 to 0.31) in steers. Bull ultrasound LM area was associated with body cavity (–0.25 to –0.31) and marbling fat (–0.25 to –0.30) in steers. Ultrasound LM width measurements were negatively correlated with subcutaneous fat (r_g = –0.09 to –0.18), intermuscular fat (r_g = –0.53 to –0.61), body cavity fat (r_g = –0.63 to –0.69), and marbling score (r_g = –0.75 to –0.87) at slaughter age-, HCW-, and fat depth-constant endpoints; correlations were generally lower at a marbling score-constant end point (r_g = 0.07 to –0.49). Ultrasound indicator traits measured in seedstock may be useful in altering fat partitioning in commercial beef carcasses.

Key Words: cattle • fat partitioning • genetic parameters • selection • ultrasound

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