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https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/14362
Title: | Male traits and herd reproductive capability in tropical beef cattle. 1. Experimental design and animal measures | Contributor(s): | Burns, B M (author); Corbet, N J (author); Corbet, D H (author); Crisp, J M (author); Venus, B K (author); Johnston, David (author) ; Li, Y (author); McGowan, M R (author); Holroyd, R G (author) | Publication Date: | 2013 | DOI: | 10.1071/AN12162 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/14362 | Abstract: | Research into the genetics of whole herd profitability has been a focus of the Beef Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies over the past decade and it has been identified that measures of male reproduction may offer a potential indirect means of selecting for improved female reproduction. This paper describes the experimental design and provides a descriptive analysis of an array of male traits in Brahman and Tropical Composite genotypes managed under the medium to high stress, semi-extensive to extensive production systems of northern Australia. A total of 1639 Brahman and 2424 Tropical Composite bulls with known pedigrees, bred and raised in northern Australia, were evaluated for a comprehensive range of productive and reproductive traits. These included blood hormonal traits (luteinising hormone, inhibin and insulin-like growth factor-I); growth and carcass traits (liveweight, body condition score, ultrasound scanned 12-13th rib fat, rump P8 fat, eye muscle area and hip height); adaptation traits (flight time and rectal temperature); and a bull breeding soundness evaluation (leg and hoof conformation, sheath score, length of everted prepuce, penile anatomy, scrotal circumference, semen mass activity, sperm motility and sperm morphology). Large phenotypic variation was evident for most traits, with complete overlap between genotypes, indicating that there is likely to be a significant opportunity to improve bull fertility traits through management and bull selection. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Animal Production Science, 53(2), p. 87-100 | Publisher: | CSIRO Publishing | Place of Publication: | Australia | ISSN: | 1836-5787 1836-0939 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 070201 Animal Breeding | Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 300305 Animal reproduction and breeding | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 830301 Beef Cattle | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 100401 Beef cattle | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal | Publisher/associated links: | http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AN12162.htm |
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Appears in Collections: | Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) Journal Article |
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