Phenotypic and Genetic Relationships between Calving Ease, Gestation Length, Birth Weight and Preweaning Growth

Burfening, P. J.; Kress, D. D.; Friedrich, R. L.; Vaniman, D.

doi:10.2527/jas1978.473595x

Cited by 56 publications

(34 citation statements)

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“…). most other studies (0.30-0.48; Burfening et al 1978;MacNeil et al 1984;Wray et al 1987;Cervantes et al 2010). Heritability for DC was in the range of that reported in the literature (0.04-0.11; Meyer et al 1990;Johnston and Bunter 1996;Donoghue et al 2004;Jamrozik et al 2012).…”

Section: Heritability Estimatessupporting

confidence: 61%

Genetic correlations between female fertility and postweaning growth and feed efficiency traits in multibreed beef cattle

Mu¹,

Voort²,

Abo-Ismail

et al. 2016

Can. J. Anim. Sci.

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With selection in beef cattle now incorporating feed efficiency, knowing the relationship with other traits is needed. Genetic relationships were estimated with an animal model in ASReml with a three-generation pedigree inclusive of 2882 animals. Multibreed data from two Ontario beef research farms with fertility traits were available on 1366 females and postweaning traits, including feed efficiency on 1297 individuals. Estimates of heritability for fertility traits were low to moderate ranging from 0.03 ± 0.01 for pregnancy rate to 0.21 ± 0.02 for gestation length, and postweaning traits were moderate to high with feed conversion ratio at 0.22 ± 0.06 to mid-metabolic weight at 0.89 ± 0.01. Both dry matter intake and mid-metabolic weight were genetically correlated with most fertility traits from −0.52 to 0.34. The genetic correlation between average daily gain and days to calving was moderately negative (-0.33 ± 0.16) as was residual feed intake with days to calving (-0.34 ± 0.17). Bigger cows with more feed intake and faster growth were more fertile, and residual feed intake had an unfavorable genetic correlation with days to calving, indicating that programs to select for feed efficiency should include fertility simultaneously in a selection index.Key words: beef cattle, feed efficiency, fertility, genetic parameters.Résumé : Avec l'indice de sélection des bovins de boucherie qui comprend maintenant leur efficience alimentaire, connaître sa relation avec d'autres caractéristiques devient nécessaire. Les relations génétiques ont été estimées au moyen d'un modèle animal dans ASReml avec un pedigree de trois générations qui comprenait 2882 animaux. Des données provenant de multiples races venant de deux fermes de recherche sur les bovins en Ontario dont les caractéristiques de fertilité étaient disponibles pour 1366 femelles et les caractéristiques d'après sevrage, y compris l'efficience alimentaire, étaient disponibles sur 1297 individus. Les estimés de l'héritabilité des caractéristiques de fertilité étaient de faible à modérés allant de 0,03 ± 0,01 pour le taux de gestation à 0,21 ± 0,02 pour la longueur de gestation. Les estimés des caractéristiques post-sevrage étaient de modérés à hauts avec l'indice de consommation à 0,22 ± 0,06 jusqu'au poids mi-métabolique à 0,89 ± 0,01. L'ingestion de matières sèches ainsi que le poids mi-métabolique ont une corrélation génétique avec la plupart des caractéristiques de fertilité, allant de -0,52 à 0,34. La corrélation génétique entre le gain moyen quotidien et les jours au vêlage était modérément négative (-0,33 ± 0,16) de même qu'entre la consommation résiduelle et les jours au vêlage (-0,34 ± 0,17). Les vaches plus grosses avec une plus grande consommation et une croissance plus rapide étaient plus

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Section: Heritability Estimatessupporting

confidence: 61%

Genetic correlations between female fertility and postweaning growth and feed efficiency traits in multibreed beef cattle

Mu¹,

Voort²,

Abo-Ismail

et al. 2016

Can. J. Anim. Sci.

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“…SCARPATI et al (1998), estudando a DG como característica do bezerro na raça Nelore, encontraram valores de 0,58 e 0,49 para modelos que incluíam ou não ambiente permanente da vaca. Outros valores encontrados na literatura variam de 0,30 ± 0,18 a 0,48 (BURFENING et al, 1978;BOURDON e BRINKS, 1982;MACNEIL et al, 1984;AZZAM e NIELSEN, 1987;e McGUIRK et al, 1998). ALENCAR et al (1998), usando método dos quadrados mínimos, obtiveram coeficientes de herdabilidade de 0,17 ± 0,14 para DG de vacas Nelore e 0,69 ± 0,31 para vacas ½ Canchim ½ Nelore, considerando a DG como característica do bezerro.…”

Section: Resultsunclassified

Correlação genética entre perímetro escrotal e algumas características reprodutivas na raça Nelore

2000

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RESUMO -Dados de perímetro escrotal e de características reprodutivas medidas na fêmea foram analisados com o objetivo de estimar o coeficiente de herdabilidade de cada característica e a correlação genética entre as características. Os dados foram obtidos em 11 fazendas pertencentes a uma mesma empresa, situadas nos Estados de São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul e Goiás. Os componentes de variância foram estimados por máxima verossimilhança restrita utilizando modelo animal bi-característica. Para as características com medidas repetidas, foram utilizados dois modelos matemáticos: um incluindo ambiente permanente da vaca e outro não. As análises nas quais o modelo não incluía o ambiente permanente da vaca mostraram as seguintes herdabilidades 0,51; 0,12; 0,17; 0,06; e 0,13 para perímetro escrotal (PE), idade ao primeiro parto (IPP), dias para o parto (DPP), intervalo de partos (IP) e duração da gestação (DG), respectivamente. Nestas análises, as correlações genéticas foram: -0,22 (PE x IPP), -0,04 (PE x DPP), 0,10 (PE x IP) e -0,04 (PE x DG). Quando o ambiente permanente foi incluído no modelo, as herdabilidades de DPP (0,07) e DG (0,06) foram menores, indicando que modelos sem ambiente permanente podem superestimar a variância genética aditiva dessas duas características. Os parâmetros da característica IP não foram, entretanto, alterados pela inclusão do ambiente permanente no modelo. O PE apresentou correlações genéticas favoráveis com IPP, DPP e DG, mas estas foram geralmente de baixa magnitude. Estes resultados permitem a utilização do perímetro escrotal como critério de seleção para melhorar a eficiência reprodutiva das fêmeas.Palavras-chave: características reprodutivas, correlação genética, modelo animal, perímetro escrotal Genetic Correlation Between Scrotal Circumference and Some Reproductive Traits in Nellore CattleABSTRACT -Data of scrotal circumference and female reproductive traits were analyzed to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations. Data were obtained from 11 farms by the same company, located in the States of São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás. Variance components were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood using two-trait animal models. For traits with repeated measures, two mathematical models were used: including or not the permanent environment of the cow. Analyses that not included the permanent environment of the cow showed the following heritabilities 0.51, 0.12, 0.17, 0.06 and 0.13 for scrotal circumference (SC), age at first calving (AFC), days to calving (DC), calving interval (CI) and gestation length (GL), respectively. In these analyses, the genetic correlations were: -0.22 (SC x AFC), -0.04 (SC x DC), 0.10 (SC x CI) and -0.04 (SC x GL). When permanent environment of the cow were included in the model, heritabilities of DC (0.07) and GL (0.06) were smaller, indicating that models without permanent environment of the cow can overestimate the additive genetic variance of these two traits. However, the CI parameters did not change with the inclusion of permanent enviro...

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“…(Houghton and Corah, 1989) and McGuirk et al (1998) showed that the frequency of seriously difficult calvings was greater in male calves, which were larger, and had a better conformation (for subsequent rearing) than heifer calves. In a study by Burfening et al (1978a), bull calves of the Simmental breed had gestation lengths of about 1 day longer, and were 3.0 kg heavier at birth; their birth was associated with a 0.23 U lesser calving ease score, and required 12.7% more assistance. The effect of the calf's gender on the incidence of assisted births and on calving ease was greater in young than in older cows (Laster et al, 1973;Burfening et al, 1978b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

Kolkman

Opsomer

Aerts

et al. 2010

Animal

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At calving, purebred animals of the Belgian Blue (BB) breed are compromised by the incompatibility in size and shape of the dam and her calf, resulting in a very high incidence of dystocia problems. To clarify which body parts of the calf are of decisive importance to allow natural delivery and to investigate both the mean value as well as the variation among these body sizes within this breed (variation being an important condition for selection), measurements of nine body parts (body weight at birth (BW), body length (BL), length of the head (LH), shoulder width (SW), hip width (HW), heart girth (HG), withers height (WH) and the circumference of the fetlock of both the front (CFF) and the hind leg (CFH)) were assessed in 147 newborn purebred BB calves on 17 farms. Simple and partial correlations were assessed and we examined whether environmental factors (gender of the calf, parity of the cow, type of calving, season of birth and time of measurement after birth) were significantly associated with these specific calf measurements. The mean BW was 49.2 6 7.1 kg. The average BL was 56.4 6 4.5 cm and the mean LH was 24.4 6 2.3 cm. Measurements obtained for SW and HW were 22.4 6 2.2 and 22.9 6 2.1 cm, respectively, whereas the mean WH was 71.1 6 4.7 cm. Measurements of circumferences revealed a CFF of 17.9 6 1.1 cm, a CFH of 18.0 6 1.0 cm and a mean HG of 78.0 6 5.4 cm. Partial correlations of the BW with eight body measurements were significant (P , 0.01) and ranged between 0.17 and 0.85; 0.42 and 0.88; and 0.24 and 0.88 when corrected for gender, parity and type of calving, respectively. BL (P , 0.01) and the CFF and CFH (P , 0.001) are larger in bull calves than in heifer calves. Calves born through caesarean section had broader SW (P , 0.01) and HW (P , 0.01) when compared with calves born after natural calving (defined as born per vaginam without assistance or with slight traction). Sizes of calves born out of multiparous cows were generally larger than of calves born out of heifers (SW: P , 0.001; HW: P , 0.05). As SW and HW are the broadest points of a BB calf, they are both candidates for being the limiting measures for calving ease, but the difference between HW and SW for the total data set was not different from zero (P . 0.05). In contrast to male calves in which no significant difference (between HW and SW) could be found, female calves show the difference between HW and SW that was significantly different from zero (P , 0.001); thus, in female calves, the HW is the most limiting factor of the calf's body. The significant variation in some body measures between the calves and the strong correlation within these sizes raises the possibility of selection towards smaller calves aiming to limit the dystocia problem in the BB breed. Furthermore, on the basis of our results, we were able to build equations for the farmer to use at the moment of calving containing the LH, the CF and the calf's gender to estimate SW and HW, the limiting body parts of the calf to be born naturally. Together with the knowledge o...

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Phenotypic and Genetic Relationships between Calving Ease, Gestation Length, Birth Weight and Preweaning Growth

Cited by 56 publications

References 0 publications

Genetic correlations between female fertility and postweaning growth and feed efficiency traits in multibreed beef cattle

Genetic correlations between female fertility and postweaning growth and feed efficiency traits in multibreed beef cattle

Correlação genética entre perímetro escrotal e algumas características reprodutivas na raça Nelore

Analysis of body measurements of newborn purebred Belgian Blue calves

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