There were evaluated at post weaning phase, 28.349 Aberdeen Angus breed animals, born from 1993 to 2003 on 141 farms, to estimate genetic parameters and to evaluate genetic and phenotypic trends for visual scores (EVs) conformation (C), precocity (P), musculature (M) and size (T). The covariance components were obtained by REML using an animal model. The heritabilities estimated were: 0.13, 0.11, 0.16 and 0.13, to C, P, M and T, respectively. The genetic correlations between the EVs range from 0.01 to 0.92. The genetic and phenotypic trends estimated for C, P, M, and T (points/year) were 0.0054 and 0.0189; 0.0035 and -0.0013; 0.0057 and 0.0217; and 0.0026 and -0.0016, respectively. The heritabilities estimated showed low responses by direct selection. The genetic correlations between the EVs were high between C, P and M (0.79 to 0.92) and low between these and T (0.01 to 0.30). The genetic trends showed that, selection is promoting low genetic progress; however the phenotypic trends that are negative for some characteristics, indicate that more attention for environmental conditions must be given.
beef cattle; genetic evaluation; genetic correlations; heritabilities
