Abstract
A total of 31 488 Zebu and 23 708 South Devon records were used to estimate components of variance for birth weight, weaning weight, pre-weaning average daily gain (ADG), yearling weight, slaughter weight, ADG from weaning to yearling, and ADG from yearling to slaughter. Components of variance were estimated by Henderson's Method 2 with a mixed effects model, which included fixed effects of sex and random effects of herd, year-season, sire, and sire × year-season. Herd, year-season, sire and error components accounted for 22–37, 10–17, 3–5 and 43–58%, respectively, of the total variation for the growth traits evaluated. Estimates obtained for the sire × year-season components suggest a small but real year-sire interaction effect on the traits studied. Paternal half-sib estimates of heritability of various growth traits ranged from 0.28 to 0.37, whereas the genetic and phenotypic correlations between the traits were positive and high. There were no significant breed differences in the correlations obtained for the various traits studied.
Published Version
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