Genetic Parameters for Growth, Ultrasound and Carcass Traits in New Zealand Beef Cattle and Their Correlations with Maternal Performance.

Research has shown that enhancing finishing performance in beef cows is feasible; however, any adverse impact of selection strategies for finishing performance on the performance of the maternal herd should be taken into account. The aim of this research was to examine the inheritance of growth, ultrasound and carcass traits in finishing beef cattle and to evaluate their correlations with maternal performance traits. Data were collected from a nationwide progeny test on commercial New Zealand hill country farms comprising a total of 4473 beef cows and their progeny.

Genetic Parameters for Maternal Performance Traits in Commercially Farmed New Zealand Beef Cattle.

Maternal performance is a major driver of profitability in cow-calf beef cattle enterprises. The aim of this research was to evaluate the inheritance of maternal performance traits and examine the intercorrelation among reproduction, live weight, hip height, body condition and maternal contribution to calf weaning weight in 15-month-old heifers, 2-year-old cows and mature cows in New Zealand beef herds. Data were collected on a total of 14,241 cows and their progeny on five commercial New Zealand hill country farms.

Estimation of economic value for efficiency and animal health and welfare traits, teat and udder structure, in Canadian Angus cattle.

The Canadian Angus Association recently developed genetic evaluations for teat and udder structure, which impact efficiencies, and animal health and welfare. Genetic selection tools are most effective incorporated into economic selection indexes. An important factor in the development of economic indexes is the estimation of the economic value and discounted gene expression coefficients, and thereby the economic weight, of each trait.