Page 6 - Totaranui Angus Catalogue ebook

ANTAGONISTIC

TRAITS

There’s plenty of breeding An antagonist trait or a negatively correlated trait is one that is
terminology out there that as linked to another trait inversely. One goes up, the other goes
down. Unfavourable genetic correlations are sometimes referred
part of your tool box you can to as genetic antagonisms. Genetic antagonisms cause decreases
in genetic merit for some traits when single-trait selection is
sound like you know a thing practiced or when failing to consider selection responses in

or two but be careful when it correlated traits that are not directly under selection.
comes to the Antagonist Traits, An obvious genetic antagonism is birth weight and calving ease,

as it’s a bit more complex to as birth weight goes up, calving ease goes down. Another less
obvious one is Direct Calving Ease and Calving Ease Daughters.
understand. However, with a Direct calving ease is heightened by using a bull with essentially

little bit of knowledge, you will lower growth, which can sacrifice the growth potential of his
daughters, meaning when they are at calving age may not have
be head and shoulders above enough skeletal frame to maintain the calving ease of the herd.

the rest and can add that to your That is why we recommend that as a rule progeny from a heifer
bull are not kept as replacements. We all like the curve benders
tool box with confidence. that break these rules, those bulls that have inherent calving ease
but solid growth out the other side.

It also helps explain why marbling has been so hard to bring Another relevant antagonistic trait is front claw to growth. As we
into herds because it has largely been an antagonistic trait to select for higher growth bulls, so do the claws grow faster and if
some of the other key commercially valuable traits that we have the leg structure is not adequately correct, the rate of growth of
traditionally selected for. the claw is more than the rate of wear and the result is extended
claws and lameness. This is a game of risk and reward, where
the stud breeder looks to push the envelope in a performance

4 TOTARANUI 2YR OLD BULL SALE