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Genetic parameters for birth weight, weaning weight and age at first calving in Brown Swiss cattle in Mexico

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Abstract

Heritabilities and genetic correlations between birth weight (n = 13,741), adjusted 240-day weaning weight (WW, n = 8,806) and age at first calving (AFC, n = 3,955) of Brown Swiss cattle in Mexico were estimated. Data from 91 herds located in 19 of 32 states of Mexico from 1982 to 2006 were provided by the Mexican Brown cattle Breeder Association. Components of (co)variance, direct and maternal heritabilities were estimated for birth weight, WW and AFC using bivariate animal models. Direct and maternal heritabilities were 0.21 and 0.05 for birth weight, 0.40 and 0.05 for WW, whereas direct heritability for AFC was 0.08. The correlations between direct and maternal effects for birth weight and WW were −0.49 and −0.64, respectively. The genetic correlations between birth weight–WW and WW–AFC were 0.36 and −0.02, respectively. Under the conditions of this study, selection for increasing birth weight would increase WW, but increasing WW will not change AFC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, AP 4-116, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    José C. Segura-Correa, Ricardo C. Chin-Colli & Juan G. Magaña-Monforte

  2. Departamento de Zootecnia, Posgrado en Producción Animal, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Carretera México-Texcoco Km 38.5, 56230, Chapingo, Estado de México, Mexico

    Rafael Núñez-Domínguez

Authors
  1. José C. Segura-Correa
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  2. Ricardo C. Chin-Colli
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  3. Juan G. Magaña-Monforte
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  4. Rafael Núñez-Domínguez
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Correspondence to José C. Segura-Correa.

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Segura-Correa, J.C., Chin-Colli, R.C., Magaña-Monforte, J.G. et al. Genetic parameters for birth weight, weaning weight and age at first calving in Brown Swiss cattle in Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 44, 337–341 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-011-0026-8

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