Polynomial functions of different orders were used to model random effects associated with weight of Santa Ines sheep from birth to 196 days. Fixed effects included in the models were contemporary groups, age of ewe at lambing, and fourth-order Legendre polynomials for age to represent the average growth curve. In the random part, functions of different orders were included to model variances a...

Weaning weights from nine sets of Angus field data from three regions of the United States were analyzed. Six animal models were used to compare two approaches to account for an environmental dam-offspring covariance and to investigate the effects of sire x herd-year interaction on the genetic parameters. Model 1 included random direct and maternal genetic, maternal permanent environmental, and...

A total of 88,727 individual BW records of Spanish Merino lambs, obtained from 30,214 animals between 2 and 92 d of age, were analyzed using a random regression model (RRM). These animals were progeny of 546 rams and 15,586 ewes raised in 30 flocks, between 1992 and 2002, with a total of 45,941 animals in the pedigree. The contemporary groups (animals of the same flock, year, and season, with 4...

Covariances among first-lactation milk records expressed as deviations from herdmate averages of Holstein cows related as cousins of varying degree, as daughterdan1, as full and maternal sibs, and as aunt-niece of varying degree were examined to dete~nine whether genetic maternal effects are important. The multiple regression of the expected coefficients of additive direct, additive maternal, d...

A total of 11,815 weight records from 23,94 Japanese Black calves was used to estimate direct, maternal, direct permanent environmental, and maternal permanent environmental effects on growth from birth to 356 d of age. The data were collected from a herd of Japanese Black cattle in Shiroshi city, Miyagi prefecture, Japan. A random regression model, including parity of dam and year-season of ca...

While theoretical models of the evolution of parental care are based on the assumption of underlying genetic variance, surprisingly few quantitative genetic studies of this life-history trait exist. Estimation of the degree of genetic variance in parental care is important because it can be a significant source of maternal effects, which, if genetically based, represent indirect genetic effects...

Weaning weight, preweaning daily gain and 205-day weight of Hungarian Fleckvieh calves (n=8 929, bulls =4 539, heifers =4 390) born from 232 sires between 1980 and 2003 were examined. Variance, covariance components and heritability values and correlation coefficients were estimated. The effect of the maternal permanent environment on genetic parameters and breeding values were examined. Two an...

Records of five inbred lines at the Livestock and Range Research Laboratory were used to evaluate effects of inbreeding and heterozygosity on preweaning traits. Members of each line were descendants of a single founder Hereford bull. A total of 8,065 records of birth weight and 7,380 records of preweaning daily gain and weaning weight were analyzed by derivative-free REML using a model that inc...