Genetic effects of season on the preweaning growth of beef cattle: A first approach to Retinta calves

ROSA MORALES CID; ALBERTO MENENDEZ; SEBASTIÁN DEMYDA PEYRÁS; ANTONIO MOLINA

REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE CIENCIAS PECUARIAS

UNIV ANTIOQUIA

Lugar: Medellín ; Año: 2019 vol. 33

0120-0690

Background: Heat stress, caused by the increase in the average temperature, is provoking major economic losses in the livestock industry. Objective: To develop a novel methodological approach to determine the influence of some climatic factors on the estimation of genetic parameters for growth traits in the Retinta cattle, using reaction-norm models. Methods: Live weight records (n=7,753) from 3,162 Retinta calves born from 1,249 dams and 85 sires and raised in the Andalusian region (Spain) were analyzed. The effect of heat stress was measured using the temperature-humidity index, calculated with climatological data obtained from four weather stations. A bivariate-random-regression reaction-norm model was used to estimate the (co)variance components of weight until weaning in two different climatic seasons corresponding to warm and cold months. Results: The heritability pattern of individuals reared under diverse environments during the first 90 days of age was different. However, differences were not significant at the end of the growing period. Weaned calves reared during the cold season showed a greater growth from 70 to 160 days in comparison with those reared during the warm season. Conclusions: Overall assessment did not show significant effects of the genotype-environment interaction. However, a highly significant evidence of genotype-climatic condition interaction was found during the calf´s first three months of growth.