J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lykins, L. E.
Right arrow Articles by Kiser, T. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lykins, L. E., Jr
Right arrow Articles by Kiser, T. E.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 78, Issue 1 21-26, Copyright © 2000 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Maternal birth weight breeding value as an additional factor to predict calf birth weight in beef cattle

L. E. Lykins Jr, J. K. Bertrand, J. F. Baker and T. E. Kiser
Animal and Dairy Science Department, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-2771, USA.

A total of 1,028 birth weight (BWT) and gestation length (GL) records were collected for calves from 1994 to 1997 in five U.S. Angus herds. Parental BWT EPD and dam BWT maternal breeding values (MBV) computed from the entire U.S. Angus data base after each breeding season were also available. A full model was fit to BWT that contained contemporary group (CG), sire BWT EPD, dam BWT EPD, and dam BWT MBV. A reduced model that dropped dam BWT MBV was also fit. The full model had smaller (P < .01) sum of squares for error than the reduced model. Calf BWT records were then adjusted for CG. Two data sets were formed to include adjusted BWT progeny records from sires with BWT EPD > or = .75 or > or = 1.0 SD above the mean of sires in the data set. Adjusted birth weights were assigned to either > or = .75 or other < .75 SD and > or = 1.0 or < 1.0 SD categories based on the mean BWT of calves in the entire data set. Dams were assigned to either > or =2 .75 or < .75 SD and > or = 1.0 or < 1.0 SD categories based on dam BWT EPD, MBV, or total maternal genetic contribution (TMGC = EPD + MBV). Chi-square analyses showed that dam BWT EPD, MBV, or TMGC categories were not independent (P < .10) of BWT SD categories, indicating that both dam BWT EPD and BWT MBV provide useful information to attenuate calf BWT. Calf BWT records were then adjusted for the overall mean, CG, sire and dam BWT EPD, and dam BWT MBV. Dams were then assigned to five categories: high dam EPD and MBV (HH), high dam EPD and low MBV (HL), low dam EPD and high MBV (LH), low dam EPD and MBV (LL), and other (OTH). High was > or = .75 or > or = 1.0 SD and low was < .75 or < 1.0 SD based on the mean BWT EPD or MBV of dams in the data set. In all adjusted BWT analyses, HH, HL, and LH categories did not differ (P > .05) from each other; however, the LL category was less (P < .05) than all other categories, indicating that calves from LL dams were lighter at birth than expected. For GL, LL was significantly different (P < .05) from only HH. The large differences in birth weight for the LL dams compared to other groups did not seem to be primarily due to shorter GL. Results showed that MBV provided additional information to control BWT; however, when both dam MBV and EPD were low, birth weight of calves was less than expected. Future research should focus on explanations for this interaction.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J ANIM SCIHome page
R. L. Sapp, J. K. Bertrand, T. D. Pringle, and D. E. Wilson
Effects of selection for ultrasound intramuscular fat percentage in Angus bulls on carcass traits of progeny
J Anim Sci, August 1, 2002; 80(8): 2017 - 2022.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2000 by the American Society of Animal Science.