ARS | Publication request: BIRTH AND WEANING TRAITS OF PROGENY OF HEREFORD, ANGUS, NORWEGIAN RED- SWEDISH RED AND WHITE, FRIESIAN AND WAGYU SIRES

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 30, 2000
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Data were obtained on 1,384 calves born and 1,285 calves weaned resulting from artificial insemination matings of Hereford (H, 32 sires), Angus (A, 30), Norwegian Red-Swedish Red and White (NS, 14 and 16, respectively, considered same breed because of open herd books), Friesian (F, 24 non- Holstein influenced), and Wagyu (W, 19) sires to Hereford, Angus, and composite MARC III (1/4 each Angus, Hereford, Red Poll, and Pinzgauer) dams. Data on gestation length (GL), unassisted calving percentage (CE), survival to weaning (SW), birth weight (BW) and 200-d weaning weight (WW) were analyzed by least squares procedures using a model that included random effects or sire in sire breed and fixed effects for sire breed, dam breed, sex of calf, age of dam (4,5,..10 yr), birth year (1997 and 1998), sire breed x dam breed and any other two factor interactions that were significant (P<.05) for each trait. Effects of sire breed were significant t(P<.05) for GL, CE, BW, and WW, but not for SW. The means for H, A, NS, F, and W sired progeny were 284.1, 282.3, 282.2, 281.4, and 286.9 d, respectively for GL with a mean least significant difference (LSD<.05) of 0.8 d. Corresponding sire breed means were 96.7, 96.8, 99.4, 99.2, and 99.3 % for CE (LSD<.05 = 2.4%); 41.9, 39.1, 38.6, 39.4, and 36.4 kg for BW (LSD<.05 = 0.8 kg); and 231.1, 229.1, 225.8, 221.1, and 208.0 kg for WW (LSD<.05 = 4.4 kg). In spite of significantly longer gestation length, progeny of W sires had lighter BW and greater CE than progeny of A or H sires. Progeny of W sires did not differ in CE from progeny of NS or F sires. At weaning, progeny of H and A sires were heavier than those of NS sires, which were in turn heavier than those of F sires. Progeny of W sires were significantly lighter than those of all other sire breeds at