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Genetic parameters of growth of Ethiopian Boran cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Th. Arnason  and
H. Kassa-Mersha
Th. Arnason
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
H. Kassa-Mersha
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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Abstract

Records on birth weight and pre-weaning growth of 3959 Boran calves, which were progeny of 51 sires and 979 dams, were analysed by least-squares analysis of variance. The variance components for sires, dams and maternal grandsires were estimated from the data. On the basis of assumed genetic correlations −0·44 and −0·55 between direct and maternal effects on birth weight and weaning weight, respectively, the maternal genetic component and the genetic covariance between direct and maternal effects were estimated. The heritabilities for direct effects on birth weight and weaning weight were 0·11 and 0·22, respectively, while the heritabilities of maternal effects were estimated as 0·02 and 0·11, respectively for the same traits. Selection indices for direct and maternal genetic components of weaning weight were constructed for practical use. These selection indices combined information on the individual, the parents and sibs.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 201 - 208
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

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