Records of growth traits of 1,698 animals born from 1979 to 2002 in a Caracu herd selected for yearling weight were used to estimate genetic parameters for birth weight (PN), weight at 4 months adjusted at 120 days (P120), weaning weight adjusted at 210 days (P210), daily weight gain from birth to weaning (GND), weight adjusted at 378 days of males (P378), weight adjusted at 550 days of heifers (P550), daily weight gain during the performance test (G112), post-weaning daily weight gain of males (GDSm), post-weaning daily weight gain of heifers (GDSf), hip height of males (ALTm) and hip height of heifers (ALTf). Components of covariance were estimated by multiple trait derivative free maximum likelihood, using the software MTDFREML. Heritability and standard errors for PN, P120, P210, GND, P378, P550, GDSm, GDSf, G112, ALTm and ALTf were respectively 0.34±0.06, 0.11±0.05, 0.13±0.05, 0.11±0.05, 0.35±0.09; 0.42±0.09; 0.31±0.09; 0.13±0.06; 0.21±0.08; 0.55±0.11 and 0.51±0.09. Except for some estimates for GDSf and PN, genetic correlations between traits were moderate to high and the positive. Genetic gains on growth traits are expected by direct selection on individual performance.
beef cattle; genetic correlation; heritability
