Raising bulls for profit10/10/2023 Each trait was weighted by its respective economic weight, most of which were derived from the analyses of available phenotypic data, supplemented with some assumptions on costs and prices. Traits considered for inclusion in this DBI were (1) direct calving difficulty (2) direct gestation length (3) calf mortality (4) feed intake (5) carcass merit reflected by carcass weight, conformation, and fat and the ability to achieve minimum standards for each (6) docility and (7) whether the calf was polled. The objective of the present study was to derive a dairy–beef index (DBI) framework to rank beef bulls for use on dairy females with the aim of striking a balance between the efficiency of valuable meat growth in the calf and the subsequent performance of the dam. Given the relatively high heritability of many traits associated with calving performance and carcass merit, and the tendency for many of these traits to be moderately to strongly antagonistic, a breeding index that encompasses both calving performance and meat production could be a useful tool to fill the void in supporting decisions on bull selection. However, the generation of calves that are expected to excel in efficiency of growth and carcass merit must not be achieved to the detriment of the dairy female and her ability to calve and re-establish pregnancy early postcalving without any compromise in milk production. The desire to increase profit on dairy farms necessitates consideration of the revenue attainable from the sale of surplus calves for meat production.
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