Herdability of the Weaning Weight in Brangus and  Tabapu� Cattle Breeds in the Pre–Amazon Region

Ednaldo da Silva Filho; Taianara Tocantins Gomes Almeida; Paulo Henrique de Souza; Alberto Carlos Pereira Junior

Volume : III, Issue : XI, November - 2013

Herdability of the Weaning Weight in Brangus and Tabapu� Cattle Breeds in the Pre–Amazon Region

Ednaldo Da Silva Filho, Taianara Tocantins Gomes Almeida, Paulo Henrique De Souza, Alberto Carlos Pereira Junior

Abstract :

Brazil stands out because it is the largest producer of beef cattle in the world, yet there is a need to improve the quality of livestock. Data weight gains from birth to weaning were collected of Brangus and Tabapuã eeds from two farms in Imperatriz city (Maranhão State–Brazil) and heritability were estimated by variances between halfsiblings. The average weight at weaning at seven months of age was 184.2 (± 14.1) kg for Brangus and 212.4 (± 22.2) kg for Tabapuã. The mean weight gain was 155.9 (±12.1) for Brangus and 181.9 (±17.6) for Tabapuã. The heritability coefficient was low compared to the observed values in Brazilian literature, 0.12 and 0.16, and for Brangus and Tabapuã, respectively. Low heritability coefficient reflects high environmental influence on the phenotype, in this case, the management, mainly in the health and food pre–Amazon region