EVALUATION OF CROSSBRED CALF AND COW TYPES; SUBJECTIVE TRAITS

Abstract

Data in this experiment consisted of birth weight, calving score, thickness and grade records of 600 crossbred calves. Angus, Brangus, and Gelbvieh sires were mated to purebred Hereford cows. Yearling and 2-yr-old Angus-Hereford, Brangus-Hereford, and Gelbvieh-Hereford daughters then were bred to Polled Hereford bulls (Data Set 2). Later-parity Angus-Hereford, Brangus-Hereford, and Gelbvieh-Hereford daughters were mated to Salers or Simmental sires (Data Set 3). The traits evaluated were birth weight, thickness and feeder grade of calves and degree of calving diffi culty. Calving diffi culty, grade, muscling or thickness evaluation is a subjective assessment. Progeny of Angus cattle were lighter at birth and were born easier than progeny of Brangus and Gelbvieh cattle. Angus-Hereford cows were more likely to have medium grade calves than Brangus-Hereford cows (odds ratio=1.69) and that was the only signifi cant difference for grade in all data sets. Brangus calves had thicker muscles than Angus and Gelbvieh calves. Adding Bos Indicus genes to a cross may increase birth weight, calving diffi culty and muscle thickness.

Keywords

• calving diffi culty
• thickness
• grade
• brangus
• gelbvieh
• crossbreeding
• multinomial data