Angus, Boran and Red Poll sires were mated to Ankole, Boran and small East African Zebu (Zebu) females to produce the cows characterized in this study, which produced calves by Friesian, Brown Swiss, Simmental, Boran and Red Poll sires. Individual traits included cow parturition weight, cow weight at weaning, cow mean weight and cow weight change from parturition to weaning; maternal traits included calf crop born percentage, preweaning viability percentage, overall viability percentage, birth weight, weaning weight, weight at 12, 18 and 24 mo and calf weight weaned per cow exposed to breeding (productivity index). Cows by Angus and Red Poll sires significantly exceeded cows by Boran sires (all cows in this comparison had Ankole and Zebu dams) in weaning weight of progeny and in cow weight at parturition and at weaning. Cows by Red Poll sires significantly exceeded cows by Boran sires in birth weight of progeny. Progeny of cows by Boran sires significantly exceeded progeny of cows by Angus and Red Poll sires in 24-mo weight. Cows by Angus and Red Poll sires did not differ (P greater than .05) in any of the traits analyzed. Cows with Ankole and Boran dams significantly exceeded cows with Zebu dams (all cows in this comparison had Angus and Red Poll sires) in progeny weight at birth, 18 mo and 24 mo and in cow weight at parturition and at weaning. Cows with Boran dams significantly exceeded cows with Zebu dams in weaning and 12-mo weight of progeny and significantly exceeded cows with Ankole dams in weaning weight of progeny. The significantly heavier weaning weight and significantly lighter 24-mo weight of the 3/4 Bos taurus progeny of cows with Angus and Red Poll sires relative to the 1/2 Bos taurus progeny of cows with Boran sires suggest that cattle that are 1/2 Bos taurus breed composition have greater general adaptation than cattle with 3/4 Bos taurus breed composition in the postweaning nutritive and climatic environment under which this experiment was conducted. Significantly heavier weights of Angus and Red Poll crossbred cows relative to Boran crossbred cows (all breeds crossed on Ankole and Zebu cows) indicate that the two Bos taurus breeds exceed the Boran (Bos indicus) breed in additive direct genetic effects for size when they have general adaptation to the environment.

Data on 202 calves born, 191 calves weaned and 182 calves at 30 mo of age produced in 1969 from the Boran and Red Poll breeds and their reciprocal crosses were analyzed to estimate heterosis, additive maternal effects and additive direct effects on survival and growth traits from birth to 30 mo of age. The calves were produced in the Ankole District of south-western Uganda as a part of a beef cattle research program designed to provide information to support a commercial ranching development scheme in an area that had been cleared of the tsetse fly. Breed of sire effects were significant for birth and weaning weight, and breed of dam effects were significant for birth, weaning and 12-mo weight. Breed of sire and breed of dam effects that were significant showed the Boran breed to have higher values for all traits except breed of dam effects on birth weight; calves with Red Poll dams were 3.6 kg heavier (P less than .01) at birth than calves with Boran dams. Steers were significantly heavier than heifers at all ages except birth. Young cows (3 and 4 yr old) and old cows (9 yr old and older) produced calves that weighed significantly less at weaning, 12 mo and 18 mo than calves with dams that were 5 through 8 yr old. Heterosis effects were significant for weights at weaning, 12, 18, 24 and 30 mo of age; generally, heterosis effects on weight increased with age. Heterosis effects approached significance for survival from birth to 30 mo. Additive maternal effects were significant for birth weight; crossbred calves with Boran dams weighted 6.0 kg less at birth than crossbred calves with Red Poll dams. There was a reversal of the reciprocal effect between prenatal and postnatal gains; crossbred calves with Boran dams weighed 7.1 kg more at weaning than crossbred calves with Red Poll dams. Examination of additive direct effects showed the Boran breed to be significantly heavier than the Red Poll breed for birth weight and weaning weight. Additive direct effects showed the Boran breed to have generally higher (P greater than .05) values than the Red Poll breed for most other traits analyzed. Differences between straightbreds of the Boran and Red Poll breeds, which reflect differences in additive maternal and additive direct effects combined, significantly favored the Boran breed for weaning weight and 18-mo weight and favored (P less than .05) the Boran breed for all other traits except birth weight. It was concluded that the Red Poll breed had higher values for additive maternal effects for birth weight than the Boran breed in the climatic and nutritive environment in which this experiment was conducted; for most other traits evaluated, the Boran breed generally had higher values for additive maternal and higher values for additive direct effects than the Red Poll breed.

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Data were analyzed to estimate the effects of heterosis and breed on a series of maternal and individual traits. Crossbred cows were Boran X Ankole and Boran X Zebu; straight-bred cows were Ankole, Boran and Small East African Zebu (Zebu). Cows of all breed groups were mated to Friesian, Brown Swiss and Simmental sires to produce crossbred progeny. While not generally significant, the average effects of heterosis of both crosses for the traits analyzed were: calf crop born, 7.0%; preweaning viability, 7.2%; overall viability, 7.3%; birth weight, 6.0%; weaning weight, 5.4%; 12-mo weight, 4.2%; 18-mo weight, 3.7%; 24-mo weight, 3.6%; calf weight weaned per cow exposed to breeding (cow productivity index), 24.5%; cow parturition weight, 3.5%; cow weaning weight, 4.2% and cow mean weight, 4.0%. Boran cows weaned 31.8 kg (48.0%) more (P less than .05) calf weight per cow exposed to breeding than Ankole cows. Boran cows were generally superior to Zebu cows in progeny weights at all ages (P less than .01). Boran cows weaned 34.5 kg (54.3%) more (P less than .05) calf weight per cow exposed to breeding than Zebu cows. Boran cows weighed an average of 70.8 kg more (P less than .01) than Zebu cows. Although progeny of Ankole dams were heavier (P less than .05) than the progeny of Zebu dams at all ages, the two breeds did not differ (P greater than .05) in calf weight weaned per cow exposed to breeding. Mean weight of Ankole cows was 75.8 kg heavier (P less than .01) than mean weight of Zebu cows.

Data were analyzed to compare crossbred females produced by crossing exotic Angus and Red Poll males to indigenous Ankole, Boran and Small East African Zebu (Zebu) females with straightbred females of the Ankole, Boran and Zebu breeds at the Ruhengere Field Station in the Ankole District of Southwestern Uganda. Progeny of the straightbred and crossbred dams were by Friesian, Brown Swiss and Simmental sires. Crossbred exotic X indigenous dams were favored over straightbred indigenous dams by 13.7% (P less than .01) in calf birth weight and by 14.8% (P less than .01) in calf weaning weight. Cross-bred cows exceeded (P less than .01) straightbred cows by 61.9% (48.5 kg) in calf weight weaned per cow exposed to breeding. Crossbred cows weighed 37, 46 and 42 kg more (P less than .01) than straightbred cows at parturition, weaning and cow mean weight, respectively. Angus X Boran and Red Poll X Boran crossbred dams were compared specifically with straightbred Boran dams. Exotic (Angus, Red Poll) X Boran crossbred dams exceeded straightbred Boran dams by 27.0% (P less than .05) in calf crop born, by 8.3% (P less than .05) in progeny birth weight and by 14.7% (P less than .01) in progeny weaning weight. Weight of calf weaned per cow exposed to breeding favored (P less than .01) the Angus X Boran and Red Poll X Boran crossbred dams over the straightbred Boran dams by 50.5% (50 kg).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)