Appropriate models to estimate genetic parameters for weight at 205 days of age of the Tabapuã Zebu cattle in Northeast region of Brazil

Abstract

Weaning (W205) bodyweight data from 12.181 Tabapuã cattle, raised under pastures regime in the Northeast region of Brazil, were studied using one-trait analyses under five different models for animals, containing random direct genetic effect from the animal, including or not maternal genetic and lifelong environmental effects, in addition to fixed effects of the contemporaneous group, and the variable age of dam at calving. Genetic parameters and (co)variance components were estimated by the Restricted Maximum Likelihood Method (REML), making use of the software MTDFREML. The model that included the direct genetic effect from the animal alone overestimated the addictive genetic variance, rising heritability values (0.39). When the permanent environmental effect wasn’t included in the model, the values of addictive genetic direct and maternal variances raised. Inclusion of the genetic maternal effect, as a replacement for permanent environmental effects, considering the covariance between direct and maternal effects equal to zero, hardly altered the value of the direct additive variance. Heritabilities estimates, obtained through the most complete model (AM1 and AM2), were: 0.17 ± 0.04 and 0.17 ± 0.03 for the direct effect, 0.10 ± 0.04 and 0.09 ± 0.03 for the maternal effect, considering or not the covariance between direct and maternal effects, respectively.