From 1958 to 1962 over 800 boars and 3,000 sows were progeny tested at the national pig progeny testing stations in Great Britain. Their test results for four traits (daily gain, feed efficiency, average backfat and carcass length) have been used to study the amount and effectiveness of selection and to review the use of the test facilities and their effect on pig improvement.

The amount of selection on test results was studied by measuring the difference in performance of animals with sons subsequently tested and all contemporary tested animals. The selection differentials found were from 0·05 to 0·30 standard deviation units for the four traits studied which represents a rather mild degree of selection. Thus selection could have had only a small effect in improving the testing population. In fact sons of tested animals showed little advantage over their contemporaries in test performance. Parent-offspring regressions were calculated and these, in agreement with theoretical estimates, indicated that selection would be effective and would lead to genetic changes in any of the four traits studied. Genetic correlations among the four traits were also calculated and indicated genetic compatability in improving the four traits concurrently.

Two proposals intended to increase the impact of testing on pig improvement are put forward. These are (1) to restrict the testing facilities to a small nucleus set of breeders who could concentrate on testing and selection and (2) to replace the progeny testing by performance testing which would allow a more intense selection and a greater rate of improvement for the same testing facilities.

1. An experiment is described in which 194 pairs of piglets on 10 commercial farms were reared out of doors with access to soil, either on free range or in field pens. One piglet from each pair received 200 mg. of iron as a parenterally administered iron dextrin complex. The soil type and the iron content of the soil were determined on each farm.

2. During the first 8 weeks of life, the treated piglets showed a small but significant positive growth response of 1–2 lb. (3·0%). The response was greater (2·1 lb.) in piglets reared in field pens, but was non-significant in those reared on free range.

3. Differences in blood haemoglobin levels, mortality and the incidence of runt piglets were not significant.

4. Total body iron increased during the first 3 weeks of life by a mean of 339 mg., of which approximately 295 mg. appeared to be derived from the soil.

Genetic parameters were estimated among 26 traits in British Landrace bacon pigs. The data involved 2,296 pigs from 250 boars tested at the five British national pig progeny testing stations from 1959 to 1961 inclusive. Separate analyses were performed for each sex and for the litter totals, adjustments being made to the data for differences among periods within stations and for differences in age at start of test and in weight at slaughter. The genetic parameters were estimated from the sire components in a conventional hierarchical analysis of variance.

Estimates of heritability and genetic and phenotypic correlations among the 26 traits are presented and discussed. The parameter estimates were in very good agreement with figures obtained in a previous analysis with Large White pigs. They indicate that a large part of the variation and covariation among the 26 traits is genetic in origin, and the traits involved would change in response to selection. Moreover, with regard to their concurrent improvement there were no serious antagonisms in the genetic relationships among the traits studied. There was however, evidence of an interaction of sire and sex of progeny for nine of the 26 traits.

A principal component analysis was used in an attempt to summarise the correlations among the 26 traits. The first two components gave a reasonable fit to the correlation pattern and these were associated with fat depth, measures of muscling and dressing-out percentage.

Groups of Friesian bull calves were reared on a high intake of milk substitute for either 21 or 28 days, and were then weaned over 7 or 14 days. Dried grass cubes were offered, as the only source of solid food, for 6 weeks from the start of weaning.

The rate of increase of solid food intake of calves weaned from 28 days was considerably greater than that of calves weaned from 21 days, and the later weaned groups were less severely affected by weaning. There was little difference in either the development of solid food intake, or in the severity of the weaning check, between groups weaned at different rates, though the slower rate of weaning tended to delay the intake of solid food temporarily.

The severity of the post-weaning check was inversely related to age at weaning, but was not affected by weaning weight. Growth after weaning was not related to either weight or age at weaning.

There were significant correlations between weight or age at weaning and solid food intake 5 weeks later, and a close correlation between the level of liquid intake established before weaning, and subsequent solid food intake. It was not possible to evaluate the effect of each of these variables, in isolation, on food intake after weaning.

1. Nitrogen balance studies were made on 8 Friesian steers given allconcentrate diets containing fish meal, soya bean meal, groundnut meal or cottonseed meal.

2. There were no differences in nitrogen retention but voluntary feed intake was significantly lower on the fish meal diet.

3. Adjustment of nitrogen retention to constant dry matter intake resulted in significantly higher values for the diets containing fish meal and cottonseed meal than for the others.

4. Rumen pH, rumen ammonia and blood urea were all much lower on the fish meal diet.

1. The feed intakes of 18 Ayrshire cows continuously grazing a timothy-meadow fescue-white clover sward were estimated by the chromic oxide-faecal nitrogen method for two 6-weekly periods, one in 1960 and one in 1961. The cows consisted of (1) 6 lactating cows, 6–7 months post partum (Low yield), (2) 6 lactating cows, 2 months post partum (High yield) and (3) 6 dry cows; their live-weights, milk yields and milk composition were recorded.

2. The mean organic matter digestibility of the herbage consumed in the two experiments was 78·2 and 76·2%. The mean digestible organic matter intakes (DOMI) were 23·3, 24·7 and 17·6 Ib./day for low yield, high yield and dry cows respectively.

3. The mean daily fat-corrected milk (FCM) yields of the low and high yield cows were 29·1 and 34·3 lb. in the first experiment, and 26·8 and 42·8 lb. in the second. The mean live-weights of the lactating groups were 1036 lb. and 1106 lb. in the two experiments and did not differ between yield levels.

4. DOMI was partitioned between maintenance, live-weight gain and FCM yield by regression analysis. Significant partial regression coefficients of DOMI on FCM varying between 0·221 and 0·272 were obtained. It was concluded that milk production accounted for about 0·24 lb. DOMI per lb. FCM.

5. The results are discussed with particular regard to other estimates of the effect of milk production on the DOMI of the grazing cow and to the estimation of the maintenance requirement for DOM by the grazing animal.

1. Seventy-two individually fed pigs on six treatments were used to determine the effects on performance and in particular on carcass quality of (a) giving quantities of liquid skim-milk (preserved with formalin) in excess of those normally recommended; (b) replacing meal by skim-milk in the ration on a calculated dry-matter basis (1 gal. skim-milk equivalent to 1 · 1 lb. meal) as compared with a calculated energy basis (1 gal. skim-milk equivalent to 1 · 3 lb. meal) and (c) giving skim-milk for only a part of the growing period instead of throughout. The experimental period continued from 9–10 weeks of age until slaughter at an average live-weight of 135 lb.

2. Extensive carcass measurements were taken and in addition assessment of the carcasses was made by a representative of the County Quality Pork Association and by an expert pork butcher.

3. Carcasses from pigs given an all-meal diet were comparable in all respects with those from pigs given skim-milk throughout up to a maximum of either 5¼ or 10½ pints per pig per day.

4. Carcasses from pigs given the highest level of skim-milk (maximum of 15¾ pints per pig per day) were superior in many respects to those on any of the other treatments, but the possibility that this was due to their slower rate of growth rather than to the high level of milk per se, is discussed.

5. Pigs given skim-milk as replacement of part of their meal allowance on a calculated dry matter basis grew significantly faster than those in which the replacement was made on a calculated energy basis or than those given an all-meal diet. The importance is stressed of ensuring that in assessing the value of skim-milk for pigs the caloric value of the rations being compared is similar. The need for experiments based on actual determinations of the caloric value of the rations used is also emphasised.

6. While the performance of pigs given skim-milk up to 75 lb. live-weight only was similar to that of pigs given skim-milk throughout, evidence was obtained that the quality of their carcasses was slightly inferior.

7. There was some suggestion that as the level of skim-milk in the diet increased an eye muscle of a rather paler colour was produced.

1. Estimates of the voluntary feed intake of three age groups of wether sheep on ryegrass and white clover pasture from July to October, 1962, were made by total collection of faeces and the use of local faecal nitrogen-digestibility regressions.

2. Average faecal output and intake of digestible organic matter (DOM) increased with age of the sheep. However, relative to body weight (W) or to W073, the aged sheep (5 years old), which did not change much in weight over the period, consumed only about two-thirds of the DOM consumed by the younger (sixteen- and four-month-old) growing sheep.

3. For the growing sheep intake was directly related to weight. Intake was calculated to be 24 W (kg.)–28 ±108 g. DOM per day.

4. The results are discussed in relation to the errors in estimation of digestibility. Comparison of the intake estimates with other published data suggests there was a high apparent maintenance requirement. The voluntary feed intakes observed, when expressed as g. dry matter per kg. W0–73, were somewhat higher for young sheep but lower for aged sheep than estimates of previous authors.

1. All-concentrate diets given ad libitum and containing different levels of fish meal, and varying in crude protein content from 16 to 22% in dry matter were given to eight Friesian steers at 150 kg. and at 240 kg. live-weight.

2. At a mean live-weight of 150 kg., the retention of nitrogen increased significantly to a maximum of 41.5 g. per day on the diet having 22% crude protein in dry matter. At 240 kg. live-weight, the maximum retention of 37 g. per day was achieved at 20% crude protein in dry matter.

3. Faecal nitrogen excretion per unit of metabolic body weight was approximately constant at all protein levels and at both live-weights.

4. Urinary nitrogen excretion per unit of metabolic body weight increased with increasing crude protein level in the diet and for any crude protein level was higher at 240 kg. than at 150 kg. live-weight.

The growth and carcass data were determined for pigs reared on two creep rations to different weights, and subsequently fattened with and without an antibiotic.

Pigs weaned at a ‘standard’ weight of 43·8 lb. at 56 days of age grew more quickly over the range 120 to 210 lb. live-weight than pigs weighing 51·0 lb. at weaning. Both groups were fed according to a fixed scale related to live-weight. Heavy weaners growing slowly in the later stages had slightly thicker backfat measurements, indicating that they were at a more advanced stage of physiological development than the light weaners.

The presence of antibiotic in the fattening ration caused no significant difference in growth rate or carcass measurements, but there were significant interactions between weaning weight and presence or absence of antibiotic in the fattening ration for length of carcass, and between sex and presence or absence of antibiotic for the traits of age at 70 lb. live-weight, carcass length and depth of mid-backfat.

Weaning weight and rate of gain from 70 to 120 lb. live-weight were significantly and positively related to carcass length.

It is concluded that further studies of the growth curve of the pig are required to determine the scope and importance of compensatory growth, and the interaction of growth rates in the different phases of the pig's life and their relationships to carcass traits.

1. For 4 weeks before calving in December or January a group of 7 Ayrshire cows each received daily 6 lb. hay and silage to appetite, whilst a second group of 9 received the same roughages and 6–10 lb. concentrates. After calving, cows from both of the pre-calving treatments were placed in each of two post-calving groups of 8 cows. A High treatment received approximately 8 lb./day more concentrates at the same milk yield than the Low treatment. Both groups continued to receive 6 lb. hay/cow/day and silage to appetite. The cows were allowed to graze by day from 21 February and by day and night from 13 April. Hay, at 5 lb./cow/day and reducing rates of concentrates were offered until 8 May.

2. Individual feed intakes were estimated from faecal output and digestibility. Direct measures of the intakes of different treatment groups on indoor feeding agreed fairly closely with the mean individual estimates.

3. The digestible organic matter intake (DOMI) of 1,300 lb. cows in the last stages of pregnancy was increased from 10 up to 14–16 lb./day by giving 8–10 lb./day concentrates. Immediately after calving, the increases in DOMI compared with pre-calving levels were about 2.5 lb./day for cows which received concentrates before calving and 8.5 lb./day for cows which received no concentrates before calving.

4. When all cows had calved and were in full milk production there were no significant differences in DOMI, milk yield or rate of live-weight gain attributable to pre-calving treatment. Mean DOMI on the High and Low post-calving treatments were 23.8 and 19.4 lb./day, mean fat-corrected milk yields 44.5 and 38.8 lb./day and mean rates of live-weight gain 05 and nil lb./day, respectively.

5. DOMI increased by 0.7 and 4.9 lb./day for High and Low post-calving treatments when cows were turned out to night as well as day grazing, and milk yields increased by 1.0 and 2.2 lb./day respectively.

6. Regression equations relating animal production and feed intake, and substitution rates of concentrate usage were calculated. Faecal output and DOMI were closely related to milk yield. When additional concentrates were given the resulting increase in total DOMI was greater when the bulk feed was of low digestibility than when it was of high digestibility.

If, from a population, samples of individuals are drawn with a small number of parents, it is shown that there will be on average an apparent excess of heterozygotes above the number calculated from the gene frequency in each sample. The apparent proportional excess is where M and F are the number of male and female parents. This is independent of the number of alleles at the locus concerned. The use of the usual significance tests will also be affected. If analyses are done within herds of domestic livestock, particularly cattle, the number of sires in use at any time is likely to lead to a bias of a size which is of biological importance. The conditions under which genotypic ratios can usefully be examined are discussed.

1. An experiment is described in which the individual feed intakes of 16 cows under winter housing conditions in yards, during the transition to spring grazing and on. summer grazing, were determined by faecal indexdigestibility methods. The influence of quality of feed before calving on intake and subsequent performance and the influence of pasture quality and availability on feed intake were included in the study.

2. The provision of a diet of 67% organic matter digestibility, either as high quality hay or as low quality hay with concentrates, increased feed intake before calving when compared with a diet of low quality hay (digestibility 62%) alone. Compared with previous lactation yields the better diets were associated with the maintenance of milk yield, while the low quality hay diet before calving was associated with a 10%, but non-significant, reduction in milk yield.

3. There was a marked rise in faecal output and digestible organic matter (DOM) intake after calving. During lactation, and especially on pasture, faecal output and DOM intake were both correlated with milk yield and metabolic live-weight. Total DOM intake was lower when the availability of feed was restricted and increased when feed was readily available; this increase was associated with a high maintenance requirement.

4. When herbage with OM digestibility of 74–82% was consumed, faecal output rose with decreasing digestibility, but DOM intakes were relatively constant. Provided that efficient utilisation can be achieved, total utilisation per acre might be increased if herbage were grazed at the lower end of this range of digestibility.

1. Six Dorset Horn lambs were reared on each of four different concentrations of reconstituted full-cream dried milk powder (10, 15, 20 and 25 % dry matter). The lambs were fed to appetite four times a day for 3 weeks.

2. The lambs consumed significantly more liquid milk at the two lower concentrations. Intake of water per se increased with increasing concentration of dry matter.

3. There were no significant differences in the consumption of milk dry matter between the treatments, although there was a significant linear trend, with dry-matter intake decreasing with decreasing concentration.

4. There were no significant differences between the treatments in live-weight gain from 0 to 3 weeks or from 0 to 10 weeks.

5. There were no significant differences in the efficiency of feed conversion between the treatments.

6. Examination of the distribution of milk intake within days showed that the proportion of milk voluntarily consumed in the first feed of the day increased with age and with concentration.

7. The incidence of scouring was high, but there was no general relationship with treatment.

8. Abrupt weaning was not satisfactory for the lambs which had been offered only liquid food for 3 weeks and they had to receive a low level of milk feeding for a further week while they became accustomed to solid food.

Interrelationships between carcass composition and the composition of 7 different sample joints were studied in 83 purebred Clun Forest lambs slaughtered at approximately 80 lb. live-weight and ranging in carcass weight from 29 to 42 lb. Correlation coefficients between physically separated fat, muscle and bone in the loin and in the carcass were 0·96, 0·93 and 0·84 respectively (P < 0·01). Corresponding correlations for the best-neck (7–12 rib joint) were 0·94, 0·92 and 0·76 (P < 0·01). The leg and shoulder provided the best estimates of carcass bone. The usefulness of predictions of carcass composition is discussed in relation to the maximum probable errors associated with individual and group mean predictions of carcass composition based on sample joints and with reference to the accuracy of these indices under different treatment conditions. The 5% confidence limits on individual predictions based on loin composition were ± 2.22%, ± 2.44% and ± 1.62 % for fat muscle and bone respectively; indicating that this index cannot be relied on to reflect small differences in carcass composition between individual animals.

1. All-concentrate diets containing four different levels of Peruvian (anchovy) fish meal and varying in crude protein content from 14·8% to 21·7% in dry matter were given ad libitum to 8 early-weaned Friesian calves over a live-weight range of 60–100 kg.

2. Nitrogen retention was significantly higher on diets containing 21·7% and 19·4% crude protein in dry matter than on diets with 16·8% and 14·8% crude protein. Nitrogen retention as a percentage of dietary intake appeared to be less on the diet with 21·7% crude protein in dry matter than on the other diets.

3. From these data it was calculated that the digestible crude protein requirement for a calf of 82 kg. live-weight gaining at 909 g. daily is between 270 and 340 g.

By mean of egg transfer, lambs of a large breed of sheep (Lincoln) were born out of dams of a small breed (Welsh Mountain) and vice versa. One breed was approximately twice the weight of the other. The effects of this contrast in maternal environment upon the development of the wool follicles and upon subsequent wool production are described in this paper. These effects are compared with differences between singles and twins.

Data were obtained from skin and wool samples taken at birth and at 84 days post-partum.

Genetic differences were the largest single source of variation for most of the component characters of the skin and fleece.

Strong maternal influences were in evidence. These were shown to have affected both Lincoln and Welsh lambs in a general (average) way and also to have had different, specific effects on each genotype as shown by genotype-environment interactions. Differences in maternal environment following egg transfer, clearly affected follicle density, primary/secondary follicle ratio, fibre medullation, fibre diameter and fibre length. Wool production was not affected, apparently because reduced follicle density was associated with increased fibre length.

In the comparison between singles and twins the latter appeared to suffer a post-natal rather than a pre-natal restriction of secondary follicle development, and in the absence of extra fibre growth there was reduced wool production at 84 days.

Relationships between specific gravity and carcass tissue were studied in 83 purebred Clun Forest lambs slaughtered at approximately 80 lb. liveweight and ranging in carcass weight from 29 to 42 lb. Carcass specific gravity accounted for 86·1% and 78·1% of the respective variances in carcass fat percentage and muscle percentage. Specific gravity determinations on a single joint were also highly correlated with the carcass tissues. Correlation coefficients between loin specific gravity and carcass fat and muscle were −0·89 and 0·82 respectively; corresponding figures for best-neck specific gravity were −0·86 with carcass fat percentage, and 0·76 with carcass muscle percentage. In partial correlation analyses, muscle/bone ratio failed to have a significant effect on these relationships. The usefulness of estimates of carcass composition based on specific gravity determinations is discussed in relation to the maximum probable errors associated with predicted values and with reference to the accuracy of these estimates under different experimental conditions. The magnitude of the confidence limits (P = 0·05) on individual predictions varied from ±2·98% to ±3·48% for fat and muscle respectively and for group (n = 12) predictions, from ±0·88% to ±1·01% respectively. This suggests that little confidence can be placed in specific gravity determinations as a reflection of real individual differences or small treatment differences.

Interrelationships between carcass measurements were studied in 83 purebred Clun Forest lambs slaughtered at approximately 80 lb. live-weight and ranging in carcass weight from 29 to 42 lb. Individual carcass measurements did not have a worthwhile predictive value; apart from loin (C) and rib (J) fat depths none of 12 external or internal carcass measurements showed a correlation with carcass composition greater than r = 0·70. Similarly, none of 9 offal measurements recorded had a worthwhile predictive value. In multiple regression certain combinations of these measurements accounted for as much as 77% of the variation in carcass fat, 64% in carcass muscle and 64 % in carcass bone.

The predictive efficiency of sample joint composition, specific gravity determinations and carcass measurements were evaluated in terms of the increased error variance using predicted values and the effect of this increase on sample size in treatment comparisons. Generally the results indicated that increasing treatment group size by relatively few animals is sufficient to absorb the additional error variance arising from the use of predicted values. This is particularly true where treatment differences of the order of one standard deviation exist and where part-carcass dissection values are used.

Birth weight was recorded in the first and second litters of six inbred strains of mice and of all possible crosses between them. The mean birth weight of F1 young was significantly greater than that of inbred young in most cases; in no case were they significantly lighter than inbred young at birth.

Foetal weight and placental weight were recorded on the 17th day post coitum in the first litters of four strains and of two pairs of reciprocal crosses. F1 foetuses were 13–16% heavier than inbred foetuses on crossing four strains. F1 placentae were about 15% heavier than inbred placentae on crossing three strains. Crossbreeding did not affect placental weight in the fourth strain. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Analyses of data from individual strains and crosses showed that foetal weight was affected by the number of implants in the same uterine horn and independently by the number in the whole litter. The two independent effects, local and systemic respectively, tended to decrease foetal weight as litter size increased. The independent local effect of litter size on placental weight was different and tended to increase placental weight slightly as the number of implants in the same uterine horn increased.

Three different instances of maternal effects on foetal and placental growth were observed.

The effects of the litter and the mother on foetal growth are discussed in relation to the physiological basis of environmental variation in pre-natal growth.