Genetic associations of growth and lactationcurve components in polled Hereford cattle

Growth improvement is an emphasis of most breeding programs. Mathematical components of growth curves provide a means to evaluate various aspects of animal growth. Milk production has a major influence on calf weaning weights. The ability to predict milk production can be useful in improving calf weaning weight and matching cows to various environments. Total milk production per lactation can be predicted by inputting daily milk records into lactation curves. The purpose of this study was to estimate the heritabilities and genetic correlations of growth curve and lactation curve components.