HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Williamson, W. D. Articles by Humes, P. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Williamson, W. D. Articles by Humes, P. E.

Evaluation of Crossbred Brahman and Continental European Beef Cattle in a Subtropical Environment for Birth and Weaning Traits

Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Baton Rouge 70803

Abstract

A total of 528 birth and 475 weaning records collected over a 3-yr period were analyzed to evaluate the productivity of several beef cattle breed crosses. The calves were produced by artificial insemination using 17 Brahman, 15 Chianina, 15 Maine Anjou and 16 Simmental sires bred to Angus and Hereford dams varying in age from 3 to 11 yr. Breed-of-sire effects were important (P<.05 to P<.001) for gestation length, birth weight, conformation score and condition score, but were not observed for birth weight adjusted for gestation length, percentage calving assistance, survival rate or weaning weight. Brahman crosses had the longest gestation lengths, being 4.7 d longer than Simmental crosses, which were the shortest in length. Chianina crosses were the heaviest at birth and experienced the most calving difficulty. Simmental crosses had the highest survival rate. Although breed-of-sire differences were observed in conformation score, the difference was less than one-third of a grade between the highest-scoring Simmental crosses and the lowest-scoring Brahman and Chianina crosses. Brahman crosses had the highest condition scores, being approximately one-third of a grade higher than the lowest-ranking Chianina crosses. Differences among the sire breeds for weaning weight were surprisingly small, varying only 3 kg from the heaviest to lightest breed-of-sire groups. Angus dams had shorter gestation lengths (P<.001) and produced calves that weighed more at weaning (P<.001) and scored higher for conformation (P<.001) and condition (P<.001) score than Hereford dams. Although Angus dams had shorter gestation lengths, this shorter gestation length did not result in lighter calf birth weights. When birth weights were adjusted to a common gestation length, birth weights of calves from Angus dams were 1 kg heavier than calves from Hereford dams. Chianina, Maine Anjou and Simmental are among the largest mature-size breeds of cattle and would be expected to produce calves with relatively heavy birth and weaning weights. In the present study, when these breeds were crossed with Angus and Hereford cows, their progeny did not differ markedly from the Brahman crosses for birth weight and growth to weaning. Any superiority in additive genetic merit that may have been transmitted by the Continental breeds to their calves was either offset by limited maternal performance provided by the Angus and Hereford dams, or the Brahman crosses may have exhibited higher levels of heterosis to offset any superior additive genetic contribution from the other three sire breeds.

¹ Dept. of Exp. Statist., Louisiana Agr. Exp. Sta., Louisiana State Univ. Agr. Center.

² Dept. of Anim. Sci., Louisiana Agr. Exp. Sta., Louisiana State Univ. Agr. Center.