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Relationship between profitability and type traits and derivation of economic values for reproduction and survival traits in Chianina beef cows

F. Forabosco^*,,1, R. Bozzi, P. Boettcher, F. Filippini^*, P. Bijma and J. A. M. Van Arendonk

^* Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Bovini Italiani da Carne, 06070 S. Martino in Colle, Italy; and Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Wageningen University, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands; and Department of Animal Science, University of Florence, 50144 Florence, Italy; and and Istituto Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Segrate, Italy 20090

¹ Correspondence: Vio Viscioloso (phone: +39-075-6070034; e-mail: forabosco{at}yahoo.com).

The objectives of this study were 1) to propose a profit function for Italian Chianina beef cattle; 2) to derive economic values for some biological variables in beef cows, specifically, production expressed as the number of calves born alive per year (NACY), age at the insemination that resulted in the birth of the first calf (FI), and length of productive life (LPL); and 3) to investigate the relationship between the phenotypic profit function and type traits as early predictors of profitability in the Chianina beef cattle population. The average profit was 196/(cow·yr) for the length of productive life (LPL) and was obtained as the difference between the average income of 1,375/(cow·yr) for LPL and costs of 1,178/(cow·yr) of LPL. The mean LPL was equal to 5.97 yr, so the average total phenotypic profit per cow on a lifetime basis was 1,175. A normative approach was used to derive the economic weights for the biological variables. The most important trait was the number of calves born alive (+4.03·cow^–1·yr^–1 and +24.06/cow). An increase of 1 d in LPL was associated with an increase of +0.19/(cow·yr) and +1.65/cow on a lifetime basis. Increasing FI by 1 d decreased profit by 0.42/(cow·yr) and 2.51/cow. Phenotypic profit per cow had a heritability of 0.29. Heritabilities for eight muscularity traits ranged from 0.16 to 0.23, and for the seven body size traits between 0.21 and 0.30. The conformation trait final score can be used as an early predictor of profitability. The sale price of the animal and differences in the revenue and costs of offspring due to muscularity should be included in a future profit function.

Key Words: Chianina • Economic Values • Genetic Analysis • Profit Function • Type Traits

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