The primary objective of this study was to determine if certain behavior traits were genetically correlated with reproduction. If 1 or both of the behavior traits were found to be correlated, a secondary objective was to determine if the behavior traits could be useful in selecting for more productive females. A scale activity score taken at 5 mo of age and a farrowing disposition score taken a...

The phenotypic ratio of a calf's weaning weight to its dam's weight is thought to be an indicator of efficiency of the cow. Thus, the objectives of this research were to 1) estimate genetic parameters for the ratio of 200-d calf weight to mature-equivalent cow weight at weaning, its components, and other growth traits; and 2) evaluate responses to selection based on the ratio. Phenotypes evalua...

Records from 106,212 Nellore animals, born between 1998 and 2006, were used to estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters for birth weight (BW), average weight gains from birth to weaning (GBW), average weight gains from weaning to after yearling (GWAY), weaning hip height (WHH), postweaning hip height (PHH) and scrotal circumferences at 9 (SC9), 12 (SC12) and 15 (SC15) months of a...

Data associated with 1,531 Herefords shown at the National Western Stock Show at Denver from 1978 to 1984 were used to estimate heritability and repeatability of show-ring placing (SRP) and genetic, environmental and phenotypic correlations. The correlations were those between: SRP and individual measurements (IM) taken at the time of show and available to the judges, SRP and parents' SRP and I...

Two methods to jointly model age of dam (AOD) and age of animal in random regression analyses of growth in Gelbvieh cattle were examined. The first method (M1) was analogous to the multiple-trait analysis and consisted of AOD as a nested class variable and a cubic polynomial regression on age nested within birth, weaning, and yearly weights. The second method (M2) used two-dimensional splines, ...

The objective was to determine the association between foot, leg, vulva and shoulder lesions with body condition reproduction in group housed sows. Whiteline sows (n = 887) were measured before farrowing at weaning a commercial farm eastern North Carolina. Foot leg abnormalities included cracked hooves, toe length differences, overgrown hooves locomotion. Vulva scored no lesion or present. Shou...

Pedigree records of 17250 Thalli sheep with 17030 lambings maintained at the Livestock Experiment Station, Rakh Ghulaman, Distt. Bhakkar, Pakistan during the period from 1975 to 2004 were utilized in the present study. Average values for birth weight, weights at 60 and 90 days of age, weaning weight and preweaning average daily gain were 4.11 ± 0.82, 11.58 ± 3.57, 14.92 ± 4.56, 18.95 ± 4.56 and...

BACKGROUND Early-life nutrition has a programming effect on later metabolic health; however, the impact of exposure to a high-protein (HP) diet is still being investigated. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the consequences on pup phenotype of an HP diet during gestation and lactation and after weaning. METHODS Wistar rat dams were separated into 2 groups fed an HP (55% protein) or normal prot...

The present study was designed to analyze the growth performance, behavioral patterns and intensity of injuries of weaned pigs (26 days) during a rearing period of 6 weeks. The farrowing system (group housing (GH) v. single housing (SH)) and the post-weaning regrouping weight class (light, medium, heavy) were considered as the main factors. A number of 120 GH-pigs and 120 SH-pigs were kept in t...

The objective of this study was to investigate a potential association of an inactive myostatin allele with early calf mortality, and evaluate its effect on growth and carcass traits in a crossbred population. Animals were obtained by mating F1 cows to F1 (Belgian Blue x British Breed) or Charolais sires. Cows were obtained from mating Hereford, Angus, and MARC III (1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Angus, 1/4...