Abstract
The estimation of genetic parameters is essential to guarantee the success of breeding programs since they allow developing adequate selection criteria and predicting correlated responses. The objective of the study was to estimate heritability and genetic correlations for gestation length (GL), calving interval (CI), days to first postpartum service (FPS), age at first service (AFS) and services per conception (SC) in a multiracial herd under tropical conditions. Data were analyzed with univariate and bivariate animal models in MTDFREML to obtain covariance components. The heritabilities estimated using the univariate models were 0.00, 0.02, 0.03, 0.10, 0.25, 0.29, for EPS, DA, NSC, IEP, DPS and DG, respectively. The heritabilities obtained using the bivariate models were 0.12, 0.27, 0.08, 0.26, 0.30 and 0.46, for EPS, DA, NSC, IEP, DPS, DG, respectively. The estimated genetic correlations were 1.00, 1.00, 0.90, 0.97, 0.79, 0.70, 0.99, -1.00, -0.59, -0.47, -0.36, -0.40, -0.15, -0.06 and -0. 05 for IEP-DA, IEP-EPS, DPS-IEP, DPS-DA, DPS-EPS, DG-EPS, DA-EPS, NSC-EPS, DG-IEP, DPS-NSC, DG-NSC, IEP-NSC, DG-DA, SPD-DG and NSC-DA, respectively. The heritability for DG, DPS and IEP represents an opportunity to improve them through a selection program, while for EPS, DA and NSC the values were close to zero. The genetic correlations between reproductive traits make it feasible to propose genetic improvement programs that can consider the different traits studied simultaneously.
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