Evaluation of maternal performance of daughters from high and low milk EPD sires.

Abstract

Angus bulls (n = 24) were selected for either high or low milk EPD, but with similar growth EPD and mated within location (n = 6) at random to Angus cows. Daughters from these matings were bred to calve first at 2 yr of age to common reference sires across locations. Lactation records for 192 daughters were used to evaluate 12-h milk yield, percentage of milk fat and protein, and weaning weight of offspring. Milk production was measured four times during the lactation at regular intervals within location. Dams were separated from their calves the night before milking and milked with a portable milking machine the next morning to estimate 12-h milk yield. A sample of the milk was collected from each cow and analyzed for percentages of milk fat and protein. Data were analyzed as repeated records of the dam. Fixed effects were location, genetic line of sire, gender of calf within location, and milking period, with postpartum interval used as a covariate. Fixed effects and the random effects of sire of dam nested within line, sire of calf, and year were estimated by REML. Genetic line was an important source of variation for milk yield (P < 0.01) and percentage of milk fat (P = 0.03) but not for percentage of milk protein (P = 0.49). Location was significant for all three milk variables (P < 0.01), but the interactions between line and location were not significant. Gender of calf was significant for milk yield (P = 0.04) but not for percentage of milk fat or protein. Line (P = 0.02), location (P = 0.01), calf gender (P = 0.01), and age at weaning (P = 0.01) were significant sources of variation for weaning weight but the interaction of line and location was not (P = 0.69). The correlation coefficient between the sire's milk EPD and 12-h milk yield was significantly different from zero (r = 0.56). The difference between the least squares means for high and low lines for milk yield was 0.66 kg/12 h and the difference was 15.3 kg for weaning weight. The results indicate that there was not evidence for a genotype by environment interaction in milk production for daughters from divergent sires selected for high or low milk EPD.