The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of environmental factors and to estimate the heritability of weaning-estrus interval in Dalland (C-40) sows in the Southeast of Brazil. Data consisting of 1,032 weaning-estrus intervals recorded in two herds were analyzed by a model that included the random effects of sire and dam and the fixed effects of year of farrowing, herd and the farrowing season, and the covariables age of sow at farrowing, litter size at birth and lactation length. Variance components were estimated by REML. Average and coefficient of variation of weaning estrus interval were respectively 5.3 days and 71.44%. Sire and dam effects were important sources of variation for the weaning-estrus interval. The linear effect of lactation length and the quadratic effect of the age of sow at farrowing on the weaning-estrus interval were also significant. The effects of year, season of farrowing and herd on the weaning-estrus interval were not significant, suggest that sows are less sensitive to these effects when they reach maturity. The heritability estimate was 0.11 and indicate that expected genetic gain by selection for reducing weaning-estrus interval will be low.
environment; estrus; genetic parameter; reproductive trait
