Genetic Correlations between Days to Calving across Joinings and Lactation Status in a Tropically Adapted Composite Beef Herd

Madeliene L. Facy (), Michelle L. Hebart, Helena Oakey, Rudi A. McEwin and Wayne S. Pitchford
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Madeliene L. Facy: Davies Livestock Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
Michelle L. Hebart: Davies Livestock Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
Helena Oakey: Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia
Rudi A. McEwin: Davies Livestock Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
Wayne S. Pitchford: Davies Livestock Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: Female fertility is essential to any beef breeding program. However, little genetic gain has been made due to long generation intervals and low levels of phenotyping. Days to calving (DC) is a fertility trait that may provide genetic gain and lead to an increased weaning rate. Genetic parameters and correlations were estimated and compared for DC across multiple joinings (first, second and third+) and lactation status (lactating and non-lactating) for a tropical composite cattle population where cattle were first mated as yearlings. The genetic correlation between first joining DC and mature joining DC (third+) was moderate–high (0.55–0.83). DC was uncorrelated between multiparous lactating and non-lactating cows (r G = −0.10). Mature joining DC was more strongly correlated with second joining lactating DC (0.41–0.69) than with second joining non-lactating DC (−0.14 to −0.16). Thus, first joining DC, second joining DC and mature joining DC should be treated as different traits to maximise genetic gain. Further, for multi-parous cows, lactating and non-lactating DC should be treated as different traits. Three traits were developed to report back to the breeding programs to maximise genetic gain: the first joining days to calving, the second joining days to calving lactating and mature days to calving lactating.

Keywords: cattle; fertility; heritability; genetic evaluation; variance components; index selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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