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Phenotypic Correlations between Dam Traits Expressed during Development and Lactation and Traits of Progeny in Cattle^{1, 2, 3,}

University of Wisconsin, Madison and U.S. Department of Agriculture

Abstract

PHENOTYPIC correlations between early traits (8 to 15 months), lactation traits and progeny traits of Hereford cows were computed within parity, birth year group subclasses. For the early and lactation categories, traits measuring size were strongly and positively correlated with each other. Size measures at 8 and 15 months were moderately to highly correlated with size at calving and weaning; however, size at the beginning of a period was not a reliable indication of subsequent gain. TDN consumption increased while TDN consumed per unit midweight decreased with size. The deviation of TDN consumption from the linear regression of TDN on midweight, a measure of appetite, increased with measures of body size. Feed efficiency, evaluated as gain per unit TDN, decreased with size. Early size and size at calving were not associated with milk production but lactation gain of the cow and milk production were antagonistic. Larger early TDN consumption and appetite were associated with larger size during lactation. Measures of feed efficiency early in the life of the heifer were not closely related to her subsequent lactation efficiency. There were small positive correlations between cow size at parturition and calf size at birth and weaning. Preweaning calf gain was moderately positively correlated with the dam's milk production. Cow and calf TDN and appetite exhibited positive covariation. Speculations as to the biological mechanisms for some of the correlations are given.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director, Agricultural Experiment Station and conducted in cooperation with North Central Regional Project NC-1, Improvement of Beef Cattle Through Breeding Methods.

² Partial support from Tri-State Breeders Cooperative, Westby, Wisconsin, is gratefully acknowledged.

³ Paper No. 1518 from the Laboratory of Genetics and No. 611 from the Department of Meat and Animal Science.

⁴ Assistant Professor of Animal Science, Orgeon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331.

⁵ Beef Cattle Research Branch, Animal Science Research Division, A.R.S., Lincoln, Nebraska 68503.