Accounting for selective slaughter over time when estimating breeding values for carcase traits - a simulation study.

Progeny test data used to estimate breeding values (EBVs) of sires for carcase traits may come from measurements taken on animals that have been slaughtered over time based on individual animal market suitability. Confounding between genetic effects and age can result. However, in the current study appropriate adjustment for growth rate resulted in highly accurate sire EBVs for both the slaughtering criteria, namely liveweight, and for a second trait (e.g. a carcase trait) regardless of the genetic correlation between the two traits.