The role of maternal effects on the efficiency of selection in beef cattle - A review

R.L. Baker

Ruakura Animal Research Station, Hamilton

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1980, 40: 285-303

In beef cattle a negative environmental covariance exists between maternal effects in adjacent generations. High levels of feeding either pre-weaning (mainly from milk production of the dam) or post-weaning (particularly high energy levels) reduce the amount of secretory tissue in the udder of daughters and consequently reduce the milk production in daughters. Some management policies which might help circumvent this environmental effect are discussed.

The genetic correlation between direct genetic and maternal effects is negative for birth and weaning weight. When estimating this genetic correlation it is important to avoid using dam-offspring relationships, since these can be biased by the environmental covariance mentioned above. When selecting for weaning weight, a large negative genetic correlation between direct genetic and maternal effects would result in considerable reduction in expected response compared with when the genetic correlation is close to zero. One possible solution to this problem is to select males for direct genetic and females for maternal genetic value.

Keywords: NZSAPAB;

Last Updated 12-09-1998