Abstract

MARTINEZ, Rodrigo A et al. Growth performance of Blanco Orejinegro and Romosinuano bullocks on pasture. Rev Colom Cienc Pecua [online]. 2012, vol.25, n.1, pp.36-45. ISSN 0120-0690.

Objective: to describe the first performance test on Romosinuano (ROMO) and Blanco-Orejinegro (BON) bullocks held at the Nus Experiment Station in northeastern Antioquia (Colombia). Methods: a total of 15 commercial farms participated in the evaluation. The animals were tested under rotational grazing with three planes of nutrition and weighed every 28 days. The measured traits were daily gain, adjusted weight to 540 days, scrotal circumference, morphometric measurements at the end of the test, and carcass traits by ultrasound. Results: a “bull index” was obtained using these characteristics to select the four most outstanding bulls of each breed. Weight gain for the best Blanco-Oreginegro and Romosinuano bulls was higher than 1,000 and 890 g / animal / day, respectively. In addition, their final weight was greater than 340 kg. Animals were genotyped for variants of genes coding for carcass quality and meat, such as calpain (Capn), myostatin (MYO) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1). Conclusions: all Romosinuano individuals had desirable genotype for the CAPN 316 marker, which is associated with increased meat tenderness. On the other hand, Blanco- Orejinegro animals had the desirable genotype for the DGAT1 gene variant, related to fat deposition and fat content in milk. This is the first study that has been reported to select outstanding bulls in Colombian creole cattle breeds to facilitate the evaluation and use of superior genetic material.

Keywords : bovine; genetic; growth; performance test.

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