Abstract
The objective of the present study was to determine the possibility of using stayability (STAY) of dams as a selection criterion for fertility in the Nelore breed. STAY was defined as whether or not a cow calved in a herd at a specific age or after this age given that she had calved at an earlier age. The specific ages studied were 5 (STAY5), 6 (STAY6) and 7 (STAY7) years. Data on 53 271, 46 011 and 41 517 animals were analyzed for the respective ages. The Method R was used to estimate the variance components and a maximum threshold a posteriori model was used to predict the genetic values. The analyses provided h 2 estimates of 0.117±0.003, 0.122±0.004 and 0.171±0.005 for STAY5, STAY6 and STAY7, respectively. The ease with which the trait can be recorded and the h 2 estimates indicate that the use of this trait as a selection criterion can contribute to increased dam fertility.
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