Estimation of economic value for efficiency and animal health and welfare traits, teat and udder structure, in Canadian Angus cattle.

The Canadian Angus Association recently developed genetic evaluations for teat and udder structure, which impact efficiencies, and animal health and welfare. Genetic selection tools are most effective incorporated into economic selection indexes. An important factor in the development of economic indexes is the estimation of the economic value and discounted gene expression coefficients, and thereby the economic weight, of each trait.

Genetic potential for the regulation of variability in body lipid and protein content of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus).

Animals may have target levels for lipid and protein stores which they try to maintain by feedback mechanisms. Thus, variation in initial body composition may be related to subsequent feed utilisation, for animals to maintain body composition in homeostasis. We assessed whether such relationships are genetically determined within a farmed population of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) grown either on fishmeal or soyabean-meal diets.

Breeding salmonids for feed efficiency in current fishmeal and future plant-based diet environments.

The aquaculture industry is increasingly replacing fishmeal in feeds for carnivorous fish with soybean meal (SBM). This diet change presents a potential for genotype-environment (G x E) interactions. We tested whether current salmonid breeding programmes that evaluate and select within fishmeal diets also improve growth and efficiency on potential future SBM diets.