Genetic analyses on bodyweight, reproductive, and carcass traits in composite beef cattle

Pires, Bruno Carlos; Tholon, P.; Buzanskas, Marcos Eli; Sbardella, Ana Paula; Rosa, Jaqueline Oliveira; Silva, Luiz Otávio Campos da; Torres, Roberto Augusto de Almeida; Munari, Danísio Prado; Alencar, M. M. de

doi:10.1071/an15458

Cited by 36 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…For W210, the direct heritability estimates were in agreement with those obtained by Zuin et al (2012), Bernardes et al (2015), and Pires et al (2016) for the Nelore, Tabapuã, and Canchim breeds. Lopes et al (2016), Vargas et al (2014), and Mota et al (2013) observed h 2 d for W450 in Nelore, Brahman, and Simmental animals of 0.52 ± 0.02, 0.22 ± 0.06, and 0.27, respectively.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 82%

Evaluation of body weight and visual scores for genetic improvement of Nelore cattle

Paterno

Buzanskas

Filho³

et al. 2016

Trop Anim Health Prod

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The aims of our study were to estimate genetic parameters for body weight and visual scores and to evaluate their inclusion as selection criteria in the Nelore breeding program in Brazil. The traits studied were the body weight adjusted to 210 (W210) and to 450 (W450) days of age and visual scores for body structure, finishing precocity, and muscling evaluated at weaning (BS, FP, and MS) and yearling (BS, FP, and MS) ages. A total of 33,242, 26,259, 23,075, and 26,057 observations were considered to analyze W210, W450, and visual scores at weaning and yearling. The significant (P < 0.05) fixed effects for all traits were farm, birth season, birth year, sex, and management group. Single-trait analyses were performed to define the most fitting model to our data using the average information restricted maximum likelihood algorithm, for weaning traits. Subsequently, these models were used in single- and two-trait analyses considering the Bayesian inference algorithm. Two-trait Bayesian analyses resulted in average direct heritability estimates for BS, FP, MS, W210, BS, FP, MS, and W450 of 0.28, 0.30, 0.27, 0.28, 0.40, 0.44, 0.39, and 0.50, respectively. Genetic correlations varied from 0.40 to 0.96. Benefits to animal performance can best be achieved by considering body structure, finishing precocity, and muscling as selection criteria in the Nelore breeding programs. The decision to use visual scores measured at weaning should be considered in order to decrease generation interval and assist pre-selecting individuals, expecting carcass improvements in the future progeny.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 82%

Evaluation of body weight and visual scores for genetic improvement of Nelore cattle

Paterno

Buzanskas

Filho³

et al. 2016

Trop Anim Health Prod

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“…The heritability estimates are consistent with the values reported in the literature for subcutaneous fat thickness of both B. taurus (Schenkel et al, 2004;Pires et al, 2017) and B. indicus (Santana et al, 2014), as well as for scrotal circumference (Schenkel et al, 2004;Silva et al, 2013;Pires et al, 2017). However, the heritability for days to calving obtained in the present study was higher than that reported for B. taurus (Mu et al, 2016) and B. indicus (Forni and Albuquerque, 2005), whereas the heritability for RFI was lower than either B. taurus (Mu et al, 2016) or B. indicus (Santana et al, 2014).…”

Section: Genetic Evaluationsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The genetic correlations between subcutaneous fat thickness and male and female fertility were of low magnitude but consistent in terms of signaling genetic synergism, that is, selection for greater fat thickness could have a tendency to increase the animal's breeding value for greater fertility. Low synergistic genetic correlations between fat thickness and scrotal circumference have also been reported in other studies (Schenkel et al, 2004;Yokoo et al, 2010;Pires et al, 2017). Similarly, low synergistic genetic correlations were found between fat thickness (or body condition score) and age at first calving (Caetano et al, 2013) or days to calving (Mercadante et al, 2006;Laurence et al, 2016).…”

Section: Genetic Evaluationsupporting

confidence: 58%

Evidence of negative relationship between female fertility and feed efficiency in Nellore cattle1,2

Ferreira¹,

Bonilha²,

Monteiro³

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Science

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The objective of this study was to evaluate phenotypic and genetic relationships between fertility traits and feed efficiency in male and female Nellore cattle. Data from 320 females born between 2004 and 2011 were used for phenotypic evaluation. These animals were evaluated for postweaning residual feed intake (RFI) and classified as negative (RFI < 0, mean = -0.294 ± 0.017 kg DM/d) or positive RFI (RFI > 0, mean = 0.305 ± 0.0189 kg DM/d). Of these, 118 prepuberal heifers were submitted to ultrasonography of the uterus and ovaries for monitoring the presence (or absence) of a corpus luteum and for the measurement of endometrial thickness. The following fertility traits were evaluated in all females: age at first calving, days to calving, first calving interval, calving success, stayability, and longevity. The variance components were estimated by the average information restricted maximum likelihood method under an animal model in 5-trait analysis of backfat and rump fat thickness, scrotal circumference, days to calving, and RFI. The total number of animals with records was 6,718, including 927 males with records of scrotal circumference and RFI and 264 females with records of days to calving and RFI. Negative RFI females consumed 12.5% less DM daily than positive RFI females and had a lower rump fat thickness when evaluated postweaning. Among the fertility traits studied, only first calving interval differed (P = 0.0858) between RFI classes, with the interval of negative RFI females being 45 d shorter than that of positive RFI animals. The heritability estimates were 0.29, 0.34, 0.50, 0.12, and 0.16 for backfat and rump fat thickness, scrotal circumference, days to calving, and RFI, respectively. The genetic correlations between RFI and the other traits studied were unfavorable for selection and were of moderate magnitude with backfat thickness, rump fat thickness, and days to calving (0.53, 0.37, and -0.49, respectively) and close to zero with scrotal circumference (0.07). Scrotal circumference (0.17 and 0.15) and days to calving (-0.10 and -0.22) were weakly and favorably correlated with backfat and rump fat thickness. There is evidence of moderate genetic antagonism between female fertility and feed efficiency, but with no evidence of a genetic correlation between male fertility and feed efficiency. There is also evidence of low genetic synergism between fat thickness and fertility.

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“…Direct and maternal heritability estimates for scrotal circumference at weaning obtained by Pires et al [22] were equal to 0.32 AE 0.06 and 0.06 AE 0.02, respectively, in Canchim beef cattle. For scrotal circumference at yearling age, these authors found direct heritability estimate of 0.49 AE 0.08.…”

Section: Traitsmentioning

confidence: 76%

Parameter estimates for reproductive and carcass traits in Nelore beef cattle

et al. 2017

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The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for scrotal circumference at 365 (SC365) and 450 (SC450) days of age, age at first calving (AFC), ribeye area (REA), backfat (BF) thickness, and rump fat (RF) thickness, in order to provide information on potential traits for Nelore cattle breeding program. Genetic parameters were estimated using the Average Information Restricted Maximum Likelihood method in single- and multitrait analyses. Four different animal models were tested for SC365, SC450, REA, BF, and RF in single-trait analyses. For SC365 and SC450, the maternal genetic effect was statistically significant (P < 0.01) and was included for multitrait analyses. The direct heritability estimates for SC365, SC450, AFC, REA, BF, and RF were equal to 0.31, 0.38, 0.24, 0.32, 0.16, and 0.19, respectively. Maternal heritability for SC365 and SC450 was equal to 0.06 and 0.08, respectively. The highest genetic correlations were found among the scrotal circumferences. Testing for the inclusion of maternal effects in genetic parameters estimation for scrotal circumference should be evaluated in the Nelore breeding program, mostly for correctly ranking the animal's estimated breeding values. Similar heritability estimates were observed for scrotal circumference, as well as favorable genetic correlations of this trait with AFC and carcass traits. Thus, scrotal circumference measured at 365 days of age could be a target trait for consideration in the Nelore selection index in order to improve most of the traits herein analyzed.

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Genetic analyses on bodyweight, reproductive, and carcass traits in composite beef cattle

Cited by 36 publications

References 38 publications

Evaluation of body weight and visual scores for genetic improvement of Nelore cattle

Evaluation of body weight and visual scores for genetic improvement of Nelore cattle

Evidence of negative relationship between female fertility and feed efficiency in Nellore cattle1,2

Parameter estimates for reproductive and carcass traits in Nelore beef cattle

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