This study compared the accuracy of several models for obtaining genetic evaluations of calving difficulty. The models were univariate threshold animal (TAM), threshold sire-maternal grandsire (TSM), linear animal (LAM), and linear sire-maternal grandsire (LSM) models and bivariate threshold-linear animal (TLAM), threshold-linear sire-maternal grandsire (TLSM), linear-linear animal (LLAM), and ...

Sex differences in early development may play an important role in the expression of sexual size dimorphism at the adult stage. To test whether sexual size dimorphism is present in pre-emergent chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), alevins were reared at two temperatures (10 °C and 15 °C) and sexed using the OtY1 marker on the Y-chromosome. Linear mixed models were used to test for sex dif...

Plasma urea nitrogen can be used as an indicator of N use and excretion by an animal. The objective of this research was to assess the effect of residual feed intake (RFI) on plasma concentration of urea N (PUN) in 188 bulls, heifers, and steers (mean body weight = 652 lb, SD = 82 lb) ranging from 100% Angus to 100% Brahman. Calves were assigned to pens in a GrowSafe feeding facility by sire gr...

Heat stress has negative effects on pregnancy rates of lactating dairy cattle. There are genetic differences in tolerance to heat stress; Bos taurus indicus (B. t. indicus) cattle and embryos are more thermotolerant than Bos taurus taurus (B. t. taurus). In the present study, the effects of sire and sire breed on conception and embryonic/fetal loss rates of lactating Holstein cows during the Br...

________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract The objectives of the study were to estimate genetic parameters for stayability in the South African Angus cattle and to compare the sire and animal threshold models. Data and pedigree information were obtained from the Integrated Registration and Genetic Information System of South Africa. Stayability was...

A sire-maternal grandsire threshold model was used for genetic evaluation of stillbirth in US Holsteins. Calving ease and stillbirth records for herds reporting at least 10 dead calves were extracted from the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory database. About half of the 14 million calving ease records in the database had a known livability score, mostly from herds processed by Dairy Record...

Materials and methods: Gilt and boar progeny from 8276 litters of a genetic multiplier that used four dam lines and fi ve sire lines were observed for umbilical hernias by 11 weeks of age. Hernias were attributed to birth litter. Odds of umbilical hernia development were calculated using logistic regression and rates were calculated using Poisson regression. Negative binomial models using sire ...

Sex-allocation theory predicts that females in good condition should preferentially produce offspring of the sex that benefits the most from an increase in maternal investment. However, it is generally assumed that the condition of the sire has little effect on progeny sex ratio, particularly in species that lack parental care. We used a controlled breeding experiment and molecular paternity an...