PG30

The ability to re-breed for a second calf given that a heifer had her first calf as a two-year-old may be influenced by the animal's ability to continue to grow to maturity and still conceive. As of this writing one beef cattle organization, the American Gelbvieh Association, produces EPDs for PG30.

Phenotype

Binary observations for PG30 of 0 or 1 are assigned to those females who have a successful calving from being bred for the first time as a two-year-old (HPG). If a female with a successful HPG observation recorded a calf from being bred a second time as a three-year-old they are assigned a successful PG30 observation (1). If a female with a successful HPG observation fails to record a calf from being bred a second time at three years of age, they are assigned an unsuccessful PG30 observation (0).

Adjusted Value

No adjustments are available for PG30

Contempory Group

Contemporary group is formed by the concatenation of yearling herd/workgroup and year of birth. Observations on females who are transferred between first and second calves should be eliminated from the PG30 contemporary group or regrouped if sufficient numbers.

Genetic Evaluation

The AGA PG30 EPDs are produced using a single-trait linear animal model that included contemporary group, percent Gelbvieh and percent expected heterozygosity as fixed effects.

Observations from contemporary groups with no variations (all 1's or all 0's) were eliminated in the AGA analysis. However, this may not be necessary unless a maximum a posteriori threshold model is used, which requires variation for singularity.

Usage

PG30 can be an ERT. However, care should be taken when evaluating PG30 (e.g. in a selection index) where stayability or sustained cow fertility EPDs are available.

Attribution

Information in the article was derived from a report produced for the AGA by Scott Speidel and Mark Enns Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Additional information came from a report by Mike MacNeil, Delta G.