The objective in this work was to study the effects of environmental factors on subcutaneous fat thickness (BFT), loin eye area (REA) and body weight (BW) measured at 19 months of age and to estimate genetic parametersfor these traits. It was used information obtained from 987 Canchim (5/8 Charolais + 3/8 Zebu) and MA genetic group (offspring of Charolais bulls and 1/2 Canchim + 1/2 Zebu cows) bulls and heifers, born in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Covariance components were estimate by restricted likelihood method using animal model with fixed effects (year of birth, genetic group, herd, and sex) and residual and direct additive genetic random effects. Means of loin eye area and weight were higher for males than for females. In the MA genetic group, the means, for all traits, were higher than in the Canchim group, and there were still the effects of herd and year of birth. The heritability estimates of REA (0.33 ± 0.09), BFT (0.24 ± 0.09) and BW (0.23 ± 0.09) were moderate, while genetic correlation estimate (0.21 ± 0.24) between BFT and REA was low, suggesting that traits are controlled by different sets of genes with additive action. Genetic correlations of BW with BFT (0.57 ± 0.23) and REA (0.62 ± 0.16) are moderate. It is possible to conclude that those traits can respond for selection and they indicate that selection for BW will increase also enhance BFT and REA and vice versa.
backfat thickness; body weight; genetic correlation; heritability; rib eye area
