Data from 79,884 Nellore breed animals were used to estimate genetic parameters and to evaluate the relationships among scores of conformation, precocity and musculature obtained at weaning and after yearling ages and weight of mature females. It was used the restricted maximum likelihood method in a multi-trait analysis with the model that included direct additive genetic and residual effects, as random effects, and the fixed effects of contemporary group and, as covariables, animal age at weighing and age of dam at calving (except for weight of females at adult age). Contemporary groups at weaning were defined by the variables: sex, herd, year and month of birth, and management group at birth and weaning. For definition of contemporary group at yearling,... |