Data records of 28,050 animals from Nellore breed were used to compare selection criteria for beef cattle based on weight gain from birth to weaning (GBW), number of days to gain 160kg during the pre-weaning períod (D160), daily weight gain from weaning to 18 months (GW18) and number of days to gain 240kg during the pos-weaning period (D240). Direct heritability estimates of GBW (.20) and D160 (.19) were similar while the direct heritability estimate of GW18 (.07) was larger than D240 (.03). Maternal heritability estimate of D160 (.16) was larger than maternal heritability of GBW (.06). High and negative correlation (-.95) was observed between GBW and D160. The association between maternal effect of GBW and direct effect of GW18 was positive (.33) while null correlation estimate betweeen D160 and D240 was observed for direct genetic effect. According to the estimated genetic parameters growth rate can be changed by both selection criteria (BBW and D160), during the pre-weaning period, although both selection criteria would not select the same animals, mainly if the selection criteria were based on maternal genetic effect during pre-weaning period and the direct genetic effect during the pos-weaning period. Maternal effect was not an important selection criterion for the studied traits. The low estimated correlations between pairs of traits for the pre and pos-weaning periods, also suggest that the selection criterion for each period, based on the studied traits, can be chosen independently.
beef cattle; nellore; selection criteria; performance trait
