Direct and maternal genetic additive effects on weaning weight of crossbred European-Zebu animals

The data used in this study are results of the evaluations of crosses among European breeds and Nellore breed. The data regarding to the weaning weight of 883 calves resulted from six mating groups involving crosses of Simental, Charolais and Chianina breeds with Nellore, backcrosses and pure Nellore, were used. The weaning weights were adjusted for cow and calf ages and contemporary group (formed by the combination of year and season of birth and sex) to estimate direct and maternal genetic additive effects on weaning weight. These effects were estimated by regression of the weaning weight on the individual breed composition, which was considered as a proportion of Nellore genotype. The direct additive effect estimates were 4.43 kg for Simental breed, 6.58 kg for Chianina breed and 15.24 kg for Charolais breed. The maternal additive effect estimates, however, were 41.78 kg for the Simental breed, 26.50 kg for the Charolais breed and 26.11 kg for the Chianina breed.