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Inbreeding by Environment Interactions for Weaning Weight in Hereford Cattle¹

Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523

Abstract

Weaning weights were collected on 613 inbred female and 621 male Hereford calves at the San Juan Basin Research Center, Hesperus, from 1950 through 1971. The objective of the study was to determine the importance of inbreeding effects in different levels of environment. Inbreeding of calf and dam averaged 37 and 27%, respectively. Age adjusted weaning weights of both sexes were analyzed separately by least-squares procedures. The effect of season of birth, production level (good vs poor years), age of dam, line of sire, years within production levels, inbreeding of calf (Fc), inbreeding of dam (Fd), and first-order interactions of the main effects, except years within production level and lines, with Fc and Fd were assessed.

Main effects were significant in both sexes except for inbreeding of dam in both sexes and years within the poor production level for females, and years within good production level for males. All interactions were nonsignificant in the male analysis, whereas season of birth x Fc and production level x Fd were important effects in female data. It appears that the deleterious effect of increased inbreeding may be more pronounced under environmental stress conditions. These results provide some evidence of genetic-environmental interaction effects, more so in heifer calves than in bull calves

¹ Approved for publication as Scientific Paper No. 2211 of the Colorado Experiment Station.

² Present address: Agriculture Canada Research Station, Lethbridge, Alberta, Can. T1J 4B1.

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