Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:36:23.989Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic parameters of growth of Ethiopian Boran cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Th. Arnason  and
H. Kassa-Mersha
Th. Arnason
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
H. Kassa-Mersha
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Get access

Abstract

Records on birth weight and pre-weaning growth of 3959 Boran calves, which were progeny of 51 sires and 979 dams, were analysed by least-squares analysis of variance. The variance components for sires, dams and maternal grandsires were estimated from the data. On the basis of assumed genetic correlations −0·44 and −0·55 between direct and maternal effects on birth weight and weaning weight, respectively, the maternal genetic component and the genetic covariance between direct and maternal effects were estimated. The heritabilities for direct effects on birth weight and weaning weight were 0·11 and 0·22, respectively, while the heritabilities of maternal effects were estimated as 0·02 and 0·11, respectively for the same traits. Selection indices for direct and maternal genetic components of weaning weight were constructed for practical use. These selection indices combined information on the individual, the parents and sibs.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 201 - 208
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bulmer, M. G. 1971. The effect of selection on genetic variability. American Naturalist 105: 201–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, W. R. 1964. Computing procedures for a generalized least-squares analysis program. Analysis of Variance Conference, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Harvey, W. R. 1977. User's guide for LSML76. Mixed model least-squares and maximum likelihood computer program. Ohio State University, Columbus.Google Scholar
Hazel, L. N. 1943. The genetic basis for constructing selection indexes. Genetics 28: 476–490.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henderson, C. R. 1963. Selection index and expected genetic advance. In Statistical Genetics and Plant Breeding (ed. Hanson, W. D. and Robinson, H. F.). Publication, National Academy of Sciences, No. 982, pp. 141–163. National Research Council, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Henderson, C. R. 1973. Sire evaluation and genetic trends. Proceedings of the Animal Breeding and Genetics Symposium in honor of Dr J. L. Lush, Blacksburg, Virginia, pp. 10–41. ASAS and ADSA, Champaign, Illinois.Google Scholar
Henderson, C. R. 1984. Applications of Linear Models in Animal Breeding. University of Guelph, Guelph.Google Scholar
Kassa-Mersha, H. and Arnason, Th. 1986. Non-genetic factors affecting growth of Ethiopian Boran cattle. World Review of Animal Production. In press.Google Scholar
Koch, R. M. 1972. The role of maternal effects in animal breeding: VI. Maternal effects in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 35: 1316–1323.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelsen, T. C., Short, R. E., Urick, J. J. and Reynolds, W. L. 1984. Genetic variance components of birth weight in a herd of unselected cattle. Journal of Animal Science 59: 1459–1466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philipsson, J. 1976a. Studies on calving difficulty, stillbirth and associated factors in Swedish cattle breeds. I. General introduction and breed averages. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 26: 151–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philipsson, J. 1976b. Studies on calving difficulty, stillbirth and associated factors in Swedish cattle breeds. III. Genetic parameters. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 26: 211–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quaas, R. L. and Pollak, E. J. 1980. Mixed model methodology for farm and ranch beef cattle testing programs. Journal of Animal Science 51: 1277–1287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, A. 1977. The effect of selection on the estimation of genetic parameters. Zeitschrift für Tierzuchtung und Züchtungsbiologie. 94: 131–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, H. F. 1936. A discriminant function for plant selection. Annals of Eugenics 7: 240–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tonn, R. 1976. Selection criteria for beef cattle breeding under extensive conditions. Animal Research and Development 3: 105–111.Google Scholar
Van Vleck, L. D. 1970. Index selection for direct and maternal genetic components of economic traits. Biometrics 26: 477–483.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willham, R. L. 1963. The covariance between relatives for characters composed of components contributed by related individuals. Biometrics 19: 18–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willham, R. L. 1972. The role of maternal effects in animal breeding III. Biometrical aspects of maternal effects in animals. Journal of Animal Science 35: 1288–1293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woldehawariat, G., Talamentes, M. A., Petty, R. P. and Cartwright, T. C. 1977. A summary of genetic and environmental statistics for growth and conformation characters of young beef cattle. Technical Report, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, No. 103.Google Scholar