Genetic correlations between body weight, daily weight gain, and semen characteristic traits in young Norwegian Red bulls

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for body weight (BW) at 150 d (Bw_150d), and 330 d (Bw_330d) of age and average daily weight gain (Dwg), and to estimate genetic correlations between these traits and semen characteristic traits: volume; concentration (Conc); motility in fresh, 24-h, and 48-h samples (Mot0h, Mot24h, Mot48h); and sperm defects. Data were collected at the performance test station of young Norwegian Red bulls from 2002 to 2012, before selection of bulls for artificial insemination. The weight and growth data consisted of observations for 3,209 bulls, and andrology information was available for up to 2,034 of these bulls. Genetic parameters were estimated using linear animal models. Models for BW and growth traits included the group and year the bull left the station and the pen they occupied during weighing (group-year-pen) and parity of their dam as fixed effects. Models for andrology traits had group-year, age in months (11 to 15), and the interaction between ejaculate number and days since previous collection included as fixed effects. Estimated heritability was 0.14 for Bw_150d, 0.26 for Bw_330d, and 0.34 for Dwg; the estimated genetic correlations among these traits were all favorable. Both BW traits correlated favorably with all the semen characteristic traits (0.20 to 0.76), whereas Dwg was favorably correlated with volume, Mot24h, Mot48h, and sperm defects, and unfavorably correlated with Conc (-0.25) and Mot0h (-0.53). Our results indicate that the genetic correlations between weight and growth traits and semen characteristics depend on the age of the bulls. Although most genetic correlations were favorable, selection for higher daily weight gain between 150 and 330 d might explain the slight negative genetic trends observed for semen characteristics in young Norwegian Red bulls.