Bahir Dar University College, Agriculture and Environmental Science, P.O. Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Debrecen University, P.O. Box: 36, Debrecen, Hungary
Kebede, D., Bahir Dar University College, Agriculture and Environmental Science, P.O. Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; Komlosi, I., Debrecen University, P.O. Box: 36, Debrecen, Hungary
A study was undertaken in Hungary with the objectives to evaluate Hungarian Simmental cattle growth traits and estimate genetic parameters. Calving ease, birth weight, weaning weight, weaning age, 205-day weight and average daily gain of Hungarian Simmental calves (n=6552, bulls=1479 , heifers=5073) were evaluated. The effects included in the model for the analysis of growth traits were sex (2 classes), birth year (13 classes), birth month (12 classes) and farm (8 classes). R software program was used to calculate variance analysis and least square means; PEST software was used for data file and pedigree file coding and VCE6 software was used for calculating heritablities and correlations. Sex, year, month and farm significantly influenced CE, BW, WW, WA, 205W and ADG (P<0.001). Birth month and sex of the calf significantly (p<0.05) influenced CE, BW, 205W and ADG. The estimated heritablities of WW, BW, ADG and 205W were 0.26, 0.16, 0.31 and 0.25, respectively. Genetic correlation among weaning weight, birth weight, average daily gain and 205-day weight were positive but with calving ease was negative. Weaning weight had strong genetic correlation with average daily gain (r=0.98). Calving ease also had negative genetic correlation with 205-day weight (r=-0.02). The phenotypic correlation of average daily gain and 205-day weight was strong (0.79). © 2015 Fundacion CIPAV. All rights reserved.