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Comparative performance of six Holstein-Friesian x Guzera crossbred groups in Brazil. 8. Calf mortality

F.E. Madalena^I; R.L. Teodoro^II; A.M. Lemos^II; R.T. Barbosa^III

^IEPAMIG, Departamento de Zootecnia, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Caixa Postal 567, 30161-970 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. Send correspondence to F.E.M.
^IIEMBRAPA, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa-Gado de Leite, 36155-000 Coronel Pacheco, MG, Brasil
^IIICentro de Pesquisada Pecuária do Sudeste, EMBRAPA, Caixa Postal 339, 13560-970 São Carlos, SP, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Mortality up to one year of age of 614 artificially reared females of six contemporaneous Holstein-Friesian (HF) x Guzera crossbred groups was analyzed by logistic regression, modeling the probability of death as p= e^y/(1+e^y), with the logit y being a linear function of year of birth and age of dam effects, the individual additive breed difference, estimated within F₁ and backcrosses (g₁^I, individual and maternal heterosis (h₁^I and h₁^M) and a term allowing for discrepancy of an inter se 5/8 HF cross with the additive-dominance model. The latter improved goodness of fit of the overall model, suggesting the presence of epistatic recombination loss (P = 0.10). Significant effects were detected for year (P = 0.001) and h₁^I (P = 0.012) but not for g₁^I or h₁^M (P > 0.25). Model parameters were estimated by maximum likelihood. Derived probabilities of mortality for groups with 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8 and > 31/32 HF fraction were, respectively, 0.092, 0.059, 0.140, 0.065, 0.103 and 0.160 in the best year and 0.225, 0.152, 0.321, 0.167, 0.249 and 0.355 in the worst year. These results confirm literature reports of lower mortality of intermediate crosses, and add support to the advantages of F₁-based systems.

Keywords: Holstein-Friesian; Guzera; Calf mortality.

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