Poll genotype or phenotype are not associated with growth performance in tropical beef breeds

Abstract

Increasingly the northern beef industry is selecting for more polled animals. However, a common industry perception
is this selection will be associated with decreased performance. Single trait selection for any trait can lead to genetically inferior animals and this could occur if selection was only to occur for polled. From a selection viewpoint it is important to establish if the polled locus is genetically linked to other economically important traits. The recording and design of the Repronomics project (Johnston et al. 2017) provides a unique dataset to examine the association between polled status (both genotypic and phenotypic) and early growth traits. This was achieved by analysing the effects of polled status within large half sib-families where the polled gene is segregating in 3 tropically adapted beef breeds (viz. Brahman, Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis).