Influence of rearing system on growth of bulls in performance test
Data on 643 beef bulls were used in order to analyze influence of rearing system or herd of origin on growth traits (average daily gain and body masses) of beef bulls in performance test (Marchigiana, n= 181, Chianina, n=240, Romagnola, n=222). Several fixed or random effects, such as breed, type of rearing or herd of origin, group, parity and twinning, were included in two statistical models. According to rearing system (in stall, on pasture or mixed) it should be pointed out that several different sources of variation for growth traits evince statistical significance. Also, herd of origin represents very significant source of variation for all included traits. The main difference between those two factors (type of rearing system or herd of origin) is that influence of rearing system decreased during the test, while the effect of herd of origin remained until the end of test. It was concluded that the adequate determination of non-genetic sources of variation referring to the pre-test system of rearing might be of crucial importance for ranking potential sires.