Selection for increased cow fecundity: A review

L.R. Piper, B.M. Bindon

CSIRO, Division of Animal Production, Armidale, NSW, Australia

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1979, 39: 224-232

Rapid initial increases in twinning rate may be achieved by intense selection of foundation stock, and performance records from several recently established herds confirm the expected phenotypic consequences of such selection. Within the line, continued selection based on dam's twinning record should lead to annual rates of improvement of about 0.8%.

The advent of strains of cattle with increased fecundity would allow proper assessment of the value of increased twinning and would provide the means of rapidly augmenting reproduction rate in those sections of the national herd where appropriate environmental conditions already exist or can be economically provided.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;