Periodic rotational crosses. II. Optimizing breed and heterosis use.

Breed and Heterosis Utilization in Rotational and Composite Crosses

Grading and rotational crossbreeding of beef cattle. I. Reproductive performance.

Purebred Angus (A), Polled Hereford (PH) and Santa Gertrudis (SG) bulls were mated to grades, two-breed and three-breed rotational crosses of these breeds (seven herds) to produce three generations (G1, G2 and G3) of calves. The grade A and PH cows were higher in A and PH breeding, respectively, than grade SG cows were in SG breeding. Reproductive performance among grade and rotational-cross he...

Assessment of the effect of heterosis on semen parameters of two-breed crosses of Duroc, Hampshire and Pietrain boars

The study was performed on 4 609 ejaculates obtained from 32 boars, including 14 purebred and 18 two-breed crosses. The ejaculates were collected manually every 4-5 days. The study involved ejaculates collected from each boar from the first day of its insemination use until the day of semen depletion. Each ejaculate was assessed for the following physical parameters: ejaculate volume, sperm con...

Maternal heterosis and grandmaternal effects in beef cattle: postweaning growth and carcass traits.

Crossbred steer and heifer progeny from 5-, 6- and 7-yr-old dams produced in a four-breed diallel crossing experiment involving the Brown Swiss, Red Poll, Hereford and Angus maternal grandsires and maternal granddams were evaluated for postweaning growth and carcass traits to estimate breed mean maternal heterosis, maternal heterosis for specific breed cross females, average maternal heterosis ...

Individual Heterosis and Breed Effects for Postweaning Performance and Carcass Traits in Four Breeds of Swine

Individual heterosis and direct and maternal breed effects for postweaning average daily gain (ADG), off-test age (AGE) and probed backfat thickness (BF) were estimated from data on 1,664 pigs produced in a complete diallel mating system involving the Duroc, Yorkshire, Landrace and Spotted breeds. The same genetic parameters were estimated for various carcass traits by analyses of data collecte...