Author
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CUNDIFF, LARRY |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2001 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Data were obtained on 1,394 calves born in the spring of 1999 and 2000 and 1,351 calves weaned resulting from artificial insemination matings of Hereford (H, 21 sires), Angus (A, 22), Red Angus (Ra, 21), Simmental (S, 20), Gelbvieh (G, 23), Limousin (L, 20), and Charolais (C, 22) bulls to Hereford, Angus, and composite MARC III (1/4 each Angus, Hereford, Red Poll, and Pinzgauer) cows. 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 for sire in sire breed and fixed effects for sire breed, dam breed, sex of calf, age of dam (4,5,..10 yr), birth year, sire breed x dam breed, and any other two factor interactions that were significant (P less than .05) for each trait. Effects of sire breed were significant (P less than .01) for GL, CE, BW, and WW, but not for SW. .The means for H, A, Ra, S, G, L, and C sired progeny were 284.3, 281.6, 282.1, 285.2, 284.4, 286.2, and 283.0 d, respectively for GL with a mean least significant difference (LSD less than .05) of 1.5 d. Corresponding sire breed means were 95.6, 99.6, 99.1, 97.7, 97.8, 97.6, and 92.8 % for CE (LSD less than .05 = 3.4%); 41.0, 38.1, 38.3, 41.8, 40.2, 40.6, and 42.5 kg for BW (LSD less than .05 = 1.4 kg); and 233.2, 237.4, 234.3, 251.0, 242.2, 235.2, and 245.0 kg for WW (LSD less than .05 = 6.1 kg). Ra did not differ significantly from A for any trait. A and Ra had shorter GL, greater CE, and lighter BW than H and C sires. Weaning weights were significantly heavier for S, C, and G sired progeny than for H, A, Ra, and L sired progeny. |
