Modeling the effect of age at calving × breed group of dam's interaction on weaning weight of Charolais-Zebu crossbred calves

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate alternatives for modeling the interaction between age of dam at calving (AOD) and the dam genetic group (DGG) on the weaning weight (W225) of Charolais-Zebu (Ch-Z) crossbred calves. Data from 56,965 crossbred calves were analyzed by the least square method. Regression coefficients for age of dam at calving were estimated nested into each class of the dam genetic group (CLA model); for age of dam at calving × dam Charolais percentage (age of dam at calving × FCh) and age of dam at calving × dam heterozygosity (age of dam at calving × FH) (FChFH model); for age of dam at calving × dam Charolais percentage (FCh model); for age of dam at calving × FH (FH model); or only for age of dam at calving (NINT model). Segmented polynomials were used to model the general shape of the age of dam at calving effect and its interaction with dam genetic group. The knots were at 6.33 and 10.66 years of age of dam at calving and general linear and quadratic coefficient regression and specific quadratic coefficient regression after each knot were fitted. The regression coefficients were estimated nested within sex of the calf in all situations. According to the F test for sum of squared residuals differences, the inclusion of the age of dam at calving × FH interaction did not improve the fit of the model and the CLA model provided the best fit. However, the estimates of the age of dam at calving and dam genetic group interaction from the CLA model for dam genetic group × sex of the calf classes with few records were not appropriate, but the estimates of the age of dam at calving and dam genetic group interaction from the FCh model for those classes were appropriate. The differences were small in the estimates of the age of dam of calving and dam genetic group interaction from the CLA or FCh models for dam genetic group × sex of the calf classes with many records.