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Relationships of Cow Weights, Measures and Scores with Progeny Characters in an Angus-Holstein Herd^{1, 2,}

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802

Abstract

Data were collected from 394 steer and heifer progeny of Polled Hereford bulls and Angus-Holstein F₁ cows. Calves were weaned at 298 to 312 days of age and the cows were scored for conformation, condition and femininity. At weaning, cows were weighed and measured for body length, hook width, depth at heart girth, rump length, forecannon circumference and rear cannon length. The calves were group-fed ad libitum until steers and heifers reached individual weights of 467 and 415 kg, respectively. The same measurements taken on the cows at weaning, and quarter thickness, were taken on the progeny at slaughter. Carcass measurements of muscling, fat and dimensions were recorded.

All partial correlations among the cow structural measures were significant (P<.01). The relationships between cow and calf body measures or ratios were generally low and positive. Cow MW (wt.^0.75kg) exhibited no consistent effect on calf structural size. Pre- and post-weaning growth rates were more highly and consistently correlated with cow characters than were progeny carcass characters. Cow single measures and cubic dimensions were more highly related to calf characters than were cow ratios. Cow characters accounted for no more than 9.0% of the variation in calf structural measures, growth or carcass characters. This suggests that these cow characters have limited value for predicting progency characters in beef-dairy crossbred herds or other breeds or crosses of similar size and milk producing ability.

¹ Approved for inclusion in the Journal Series as No. 3989 by the Director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station; number assigned June 1, 1971.

² The authors express appreciation to the State Correctional Institution at Rockview for use of animals and facilities, and to the Falk Family Trust for grants-in-aid. This paper is a portion of the M.S. thesis of the senior author; present address American Polled Hereford Association, 4700 East 63rd St., Kansas City, Missouri.