SummaryData on 737 crossbred and purebred gilts were used to obtain heritability estimates for age at puberty (AGEPUB) and weight at puberty (WTPUB) and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), postweaning daily gain (ADG), adjusted age at 90.7 kg (AGE) and adjusted backfat at 90.7 kg (BF). The heritability estimates for AGEPUB were low to moderate (.19 and .40, based upon paternal and maternal half-sib estimates, respectively.) The genetic (rg) and phenotypic (rp) correlations between AGEPUB and BW (rg = --.07; rp = --.09), WW (rg = --.25; rp = --.19), ADG (rg = --.38; rp = --.34) and AGE (rg = .56; rp = .38) were favorable. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between AGEPUB and BF were .27 and .01, respectively.

SummaryData on 213 purebred and 524 crossbred gilts produced in a four-breed diallel crossing design involving the Duroc (D), Yorkshire (Y), Landrace (L) and Spotted (S)breeds were analyzed for age and weight at puberty. The breed of sire • breed of dam interaction was significant for both age and weight at puberty. However, differences among reciprocals were not significant, and thus, reciprocal means were combined. Crossbreds were younger (7.9 d) and heavier (1.2 kg) at puberty than purebreds.