Convidadamos a todos para a Defesa da Qualificação de Doutorado da discente do nosso programa, Paola Perez Boscollo.

A defesa pública ocorrerá no dia 19/12/2025 às 14h:00 por videoconferência com acesso através do link:

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/2476288896?omn=97473467145

Será apresentado o trabalho com título: Economic values of fertility, growth, and carcass traits in beef cattle seedstock and cow-calf operations

Abstract

Economic values (EV) were derived for fertility, growth, and carcass traits using the UF Purebred Brahman (BRA) and UF Multibreed Angus-Brahman (MAB) herds as seedstock and cow-calf operations reference, respectively. Bioeconomic models were developed using herd costs, revenues, and management data collected from February 2024 to May 2025. BRA and MAB offspring were either sold at weaning, retained as replacements, and slaughtered for carcass evaluation. BRA was also sold for breeding purposes. EV were estimated as the expected change in profitability resulting from a one-unit change in performance for a specific trait, while holding all other traits constant. In BRA, calving success was valued at $1,158.59 per cow, an increase in age at first pregnancy resulted in a loss of $397.06 per heifer per year, weight at 15 months was valued at $3.70 per kilogram gained, and dressing percentage was valued at $32.62 per 1% increase, with improvements in USDA quality and yield grade valued at $16.33 and $3.72 per 100-pound carcass weight (cwt), respectively. In MAB, calving success was valued at $1,004.15 per cow, increasing age at first pregnancy resulted in a loss of $464.51 per heifer per year, weight at 18 months was valued at $4.12 per kilogram gained, dressing percentage resulted in a gain of $40.22 per 1% increase, with improvements in quality and yield grade were valued at $10.84 and $5.64 per cwt, respectively. The results support data-driven breeding decisions to optimize productivity, profitability, and genetic progress through multiple-trait selection.

Keywords: breeding decisions, multiple-trait selection, profitability, selection index