GENETIC PARAMETERS OF THE MATERNAL GRANDSIRE CONTRIBUTION TO BEEF CATTLE WEANING WEIGHTS

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 1057-1062
Author(s):  
G. H. CROW ◽  
W. E. HOWELL

Genetic aspects of maternal influence on weaning weights in beef cattle were examined using analyses within breed and parity of dam (first, second, third and fourth and greater parities) of Angus, Charolais and Hereford Record of Performance data. A mixed model which included herd-year and maternal grandsire (MGS) was used. The data were adjusted for calf sex within breed and parity of dam prior to analysis. The heritability of dam influence on her offspring weaning weight averaged 0.23 for first parity data of the three breeds. Heritability for second and third parities of the three breeds were lower than this but averaged 0.16 in parity four and greater. MGSs contributed significantly to variation in weaning weights. Their contribution, however, is a composite of both direct and maternal genetic effects. Key words: Beef cattle, weaning weight, maternal, variance components, heritability

1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. CROW ◽  
W. E. HOWELL

Procedures for evaluating beef sires for maternal genetic effects for weaning weight were developed and used in the calculation of genetic trends. Using the maternal grandsire (MGS) and error variance components, predicted differences (PDs) of MGSs for parity one daughter performance were calculated using Record of Performance data from the Angus, Charolais and Hereford breeds. Best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) methods were used with a mixed model which included herd-year and MGS effects. The average number of daughter records per MGS was 5.44, 5.26 and 5.12 for Angus, Hereford and Charolais, respectively. As a result of these small numbers of daughter records, the PDs of most MGSs had very large standard errors of prediction. Weighted averages of MGS PDs for each breed in each of the 5 years from 1975 to 1979 were calculated to determine if there was any genetic trend in MGS PDs. There were small trends evident but not sufficient to indicate that any selection pressure was being exerted on maternal ability. Key words: Beef sire evaluation, maternal effects, genetic trends


1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 819
Author(s):  
K Meyer ◽  
HU Graser

Estimates of (co)variance components and genetic parameters were obtained for a preweaning weight, recorded between 2 and 5 months after birth, and the subsequent gain till weaning for two herds in a selection experiment in Western Australia. Analyses were carried out both accounting for age at weighing and assuming birth dates and thus ages were unknown. On adjusting for the interval between weighings, preweaning gain appeared to be independent of age and equally heritable to weaning weight. Estimates of the direct genetic correlation between preweaning gain and weaning weight (adjusted for age) were 0.9 or higher, while both genetic and permanent environmental maternal correlations were close to unity. Implications for the use of preweaning weight as an alternative selection criterion to weaning weight when birth dates are not recorded are discussed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Alfredo Martínez ◽  
Juan Esteban Pérez ◽  
Teófilo Herazo

<p>Se establecieron componentes de varianza, así como parámetros fenotípicos y genéticos, respecto de las variables ‘peso al nacimiento’, ‘peso al destete’ (ajustado a los 270 días) y ‘peso a los 480 días’ en un hato del ganado criollo colombiano Costeño con Cuernos. Se analizaron 2.281 registros de pesos al nacer, 1.722 de pesos al destete  y 1.086 de pesos ajustados a los 480 días utilizando la metodología de máxima verosimilitud restringida (DFREML). También se ajustó un modelo animal que incluyó efectos genéticos directos, maternos y de ambiente permanente, asumiendo como efectos fijos el año de nacimiento, el sexo del ternero y el número de partos de la madre; finalmente, se estimaron los parámetros genéticos ‘heredabilidad’, ‘repetibilildad’ y se establecieron correlaciones genéticas y fenotípicas. Se reportan bajas estimaciones de heredabilidad de los efectos directos, que varían entre 0,17 ± 0,001 y 0,21 ± 0,074 para los pesos al nacer y al destete, respectivamente; así mismo, fue baja la heredabilidad de los efectos genéticos maternos con relación al peso al nacimiento, aunque estos estimados aumentaron respecto de los pesos al nacer y al destete. Las correlaciones entre efectos directos y maternos fueron negativas, pero el mayor valor se encontró para el peso al nacimiento (-0,89). La contribución del ambiente permanente como proporción de la varianza fenotípica total fue baja y disminuyó a medida que aumentó la edad del animal.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Genetic and phenotypic evaluation to characterize growth traits of the native Colombian breed Costeño con Cuernos</strong></p><p>For a herd of native Colombian breed of cattle -Costeño con Cuernos (CCC)- estimates of variance components for phenotypic and genetic parameters were obtained for birth weight, weight at weaning (adjusted to 270 days) and weight at 480 days. Using the restricted maximum likelihood (REMI) methodology, 2281 birth weight records (PN), 1722 weaning weight records and 1086 weight records adjusted to 480 days were analyze by fitting a model which included direct and maternal genetics effects as well as permanent environmental effects, assuming that fixed effects were year of birth weight, calf gender and the mother number of births. The genetic parameters for heritability, repeatability, genetic and phenotypic correlation were estimated and genotypic and phenotypic correlation was established. Heritability estimates for direct effects are low and range from 0.17 ± 0.001 and 0.21 ± 0.074 for birth and weaning weight respectively; while estimates for maternal genetics effects were also low for PN, they were higher for weaning weight and weight at 480 days. There was a negative correlation between direct and maternal effects, and the higher value was for PN (-0.89). The contribution of the variable permanent environment measured as the contribution of the phenotypic variance was low and diminished as animal age increased.</p>


2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 254-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Wolc ◽  
M. Lisowski ◽  
T. Szwaczkowski

Six generations of three layer lines (13 770 recorded individuals of A22 line, 13 950 of A88, 9 351 of K66) were used to estimate genetic effects on egg production under cumulative, multitrait and repeatability models. Variance components were estimated by the AI-REML algorithm. The heritability of cumulative records ranged from 0.08 to 0.1. For the repeated measurements model the following genetic parameters were obtained: heritability 0.02–0.03, repeatability 0.04–0.38. The first two months of egg production were found to differ from the other periods: heritability was relatively high (<i>h</i><sup>2</sup> > 0.35) and low or negative correlations with the other periods were found. Heritability was low (<i>h</i><sup>2</sup> < 0.1) from the peak production until the end of recording and the consecutive periods were highly correlated. Further studies on monthly records are suggested.


1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 963-965
Author(s):  
J. C. OLTHOFF ◽  
G. H. CROW ◽  
G. W. RAHNEFELD

Lines within a breed which differ in their level of performance may require different age-of-dam adjustment factors in the same way that different breeds do. Age-of-dam adjustments calculated from a control and a yearling weight selection line indicated lower values in the selected line for calf birth weight, weaning weight and yearling weight for 2- and 4-yr-old dams. Trends for adjustment factors in each line over time were generally not significant but tended to diverge. Age-of-dam adjustment factors within a breed may need to be reevaluated at intervals as levels of performance change. Key words: Beef cattle, age of dam adjustment, selection, yearling weight


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 7) ◽  
pp. 302-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Vostrý ◽  
Z. Veselá ◽  
A. Svitáková ◽  
H. Vostrá Vydrová

The most appropriate model for genetic parameters estimation for calving ease and birth weight in beef cattle was selected. A total of 27 402 field records were available from the Czech Charolais breed. For estimation of genetic parameters for calving ease and body weight, three bivariate models were tested: a linear-linear animal model (L-LM) with calving ease classified into four categories (1 &ndash; easy; 2&ndash;4 &ndash; most difficult), a linear-linear animal model (SC-LM) in which calving ease scores were transformed into Snell scores (Snell 1964) and expressed as percentage of assisted calving (ranging 0&ndash;100%), and a bivariate threshold-linear animal model (T-LM) with calving ease classified into four categories (1 &ndash; easy, 2&ndash;4 &ndash; most difficult). All tested models included fixed effects for contemporary group (herd &times; year &times; season), age of dam, sex and breed of a calf. Random effects included direct and maternal genetic effects, maternal permanent environmental effect, and residual error. Direct heritability estimates for calving ease and birth weight were, with the use of L-LM, SC-LM, and T-LM, from 0.096 &plusmn; 0.013 to 0.226 &plusmn; 0.024 and from 0.210 &plusmn; 0.024 to 0.225 &plusmn; 0.026, respectively. Maternal heritability estimates for calving ease and birth weight were, with the use of L-LM, SC-LM, and T-LM, from 0.060 &plusmn; 0.031 to 0.104 &plusmn; 0.125 and from 0.074 &plusmn; 0.041 to 0.075 &plusmn; 0.040, respectively. Genetic correlations of direct calving ease with direct birth weight ranged from 0.46 &plusmn; 0.06 to 0.50 &plusmn; 0.06 for all tested models; whereas maternal genetic correlations between these two traits ranged from 0.24 &plusmn; 0.17 to 0.25 &plusmn; 0.53. Correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects within-trait were negative and substantial for all tested models (ranging from &ndash;0.574 &plusmn; 0.125 to &ndash;0.680 &plusmn; 0.141 for calving ease and from &ndash;0.553 &plusmn; 0.122 to &ndash;0.558 &plusmn; 0.118 for birth weight, respectively), illustrating the importance of including this parameter in calving ease evaluations. Results indicate that any of the tested models could be used to reliably estimate genetic parameters for calving ease for beef cattle in the Czech Republic. However, because of advantages in computation time and practical considerations, genetic analysis using SC-LM (transformed data) is recommended.


1980 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. S. HUDSON ◽  
L. R. SCHAEFFER ◽  
J. W. WILTON

Progeny test programs were characterized by numbers of young bulls, successful matings (conceptions) per young bull, herds in which each young sire was used, proven bulls used as reference sires and herd size. Matings to reference sires were calculated as a percentage of the number of young sire matings. Designs were simulated and mixed-model equations formed and added to equations obtained from the Canadian ROP program for years 1971–1978. The average standard error of prediction (SEP) of young bulls was used for comparing designs. Increasing matings per young sire decreased SEP curvilinearly. The curvilinearity was greater when either herd size or herds per young sire was low. Increasing herd size and herds per young sire improved connectedness between sires and reduced SEP. Number of young sires affected SEP only when fewer than 10 bulls were sampled. Number of young sire matings were more important in reducing SEP than percent reference sire matings. If number of young sire matings was adequate to achieve a desired level of SEP, 10% reference sire matings were sufficient. The number of reference sires used did not affect SEP. Design patterns affected SEP of weaning weight (h2 = 0.25) and calving ease (h2 = 0.10) similarly. SEP was not affected by the number of proven sires in a breed (Maine Anjou, 133 sires or Blonde d’Aquitaine, 39 sires) or by the connectedness between proven sires.


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 971-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. Rahnefeld ◽  
Doug Ward ◽  
G. M. Weiss

The following were compared as measures of cow productivity: (A) calf weaning weight per mating opportunity; (B) calf weaning weight per mating opportunity with cow weight at weaning as a covariate; (C) calf weaning weight per mating opportunity per unit of cow weight at weaning; and (D) calf weaning weight per mating opportunity per cow metabolic weight (kg0.75) at weaning. Results indicate that the method described under (C) is best at reducing error followed closely by the method described under (D). The least satisfactory measure of cow productivity was (B). Key words: Beef cattle, cow efficiency, productivity


2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-193
Author(s):  
J. J. Tosh ◽  
R. A. Kemp

Genetic trends for weaning weight were determined in two herds of multibreed beef cattle that originated from a common base and were subject to mutual breeding policies in separate environments. The herds diverged for the direct though not the maternal genetic component of weaning weight within the 13-yr period examined; in the final year, the difference (P < 0.001) between the herds was almost 3 kg. This could have been partly due to unequal selection differentials and generation intervals. Results suggested the extent of natural selection also differed between the two environments. Key words: Beef cattle, crossbreeding, genetic trends, selection, weaning weight


1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 287-290
Author(s):  
D. K. AARON ◽  
F. A. THRIFT

Birth and weaning weight data were evaluated on 1/2 Simmental (SH, SA), 1/2 Maine-Anjou (MH, MA), 3/4 Simmental (S.SH, S.SA) and 3/4 Maine-Anjou (M.MH, M.MA) calves. For birth weight, 1/2 Simmental calves were lighter (P < 0.01) than 1/2 Maine-Anjou calves, and calves from Hereford cows were heavier (P < 0.01) than calves from Angus cows. Also, S.SH calves were heavier (P < 0.01) than S.SA calves. For weaning weight, 3/4 Simmental calves were heavier (P < 0.01) than 3/4 Maine-Anjou calves, and 1/2 Simmental and Maine-Anjou calves were lighter (P < 0.01) than 3/4 Simmental and Maine-Anjou calves. Key words: Calf genetic types, grading-up, beef cattle


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