Genetics of heifer puberty and growth in tropically adapted beef breeds

Abstract

Heifer reproductive performance is a driving factor for profitability in northern beef systems. Age at puberty (AP) directly influences conception rates and is a highly heritable early-in-life trait for the genetic improvement of female reproduction (Johnston et al. 2009). The research showed selection could occur with few major antagonisms with production traits. Recognising the relationship between AP and growth traits during sire selection has the potential to achieve desirable mating weights of pubertal heifers. The aim of this paper was to investigate the genetic relationship between age at puberty, weight at puberty (WP), and 600-day weight (600 dW) through use of sire EBVs.