Genetic parameters for body weight and milk production of dairy Gyr herds

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for cow weight at calving (CW) and cumulative 305-day milk yield (MY305) in dairy Gyr cattle by two-trait analysis. The study used 1,847 CW records, in which 418 females presented more than one measure, and 4,048 MY305 records, wherein 1068 females provided repeated measures, from 2,339 females belonging to three herds, which calved between 1986 and 2019. Variance components were estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood method (REML) using a two-trait animal model. The model included direct additive genetic, permanent environmental and residual effects as random effects and the fixed effects of contemporary group, formed by animals that had calved on the same farm year and season, and age of cow at calving as covariates (fitted as linear and quadratic effect). The heritability estimates for CW and MY305 were 0.21 ± 0.06 and 0.29 ± 0.04, respectively, and repeatability estimates were 0.49 ± 0.03 and 0.49 ± 0.02. The genetic correlation between CW and MY305 was positive and of low magnitude (0.33 ± 0.18), indicating that selection for MY305 will cause little genetic change in the weights of dairy Gyr animals. The genetic trends of breeding values of analyzed traits showed marked genetic gains in MY305, with little changes in CW of dairy Gyr cows over the years in the herds studied, which is an important result considering the production systems adopted in the tropics.