AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION - THE BUSINESS BREED

Heritabilities and Genetic Correlations

These estimates show how much of the trait variation is due to genetics versus the environment (heritability) and the strength of the relationship between two traits (genetic correlation).

Spring 2025

Angus Trait Heritabilities (on-diagonal) and Genetic Correlations (upper off-diagonals)
Trait CED BW WW PG DMI YH SC Doc Claw Angle PAP HS HP CEM Milk MW MH YW UFAT UIMF UREA FAT MARB REA CW
Calving ease direct (CED) .191 - .652










- .06










Birth weight direct(BW)
.46 .29 .29




















Weaning direct (WW)

.28 .48 .50









.44 .48 .87 .16
.42 .07
.21 .66
Post-Weaning gain (PG)


.27 .61 .65 .28

















Dry-matter intake (DMI)



.33



















Yearling height (YH)




.49









.41 .68






Scrotal circumference (SC)





.48

















Docility (Doc)






.44
















Foot Claw Set (Claw)







.25















Foot Angle (Angle)








.25












Pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP)









.39











Hair Shed (HS)










.36











Heifer pregnancy (HP)











.15











Calving ease maternal (CEM)












.20










Maternal milk













.12









Mature weight (MW)














.35 .69







Mature height (MH)















.59







Yearling Weight (YW)
















.42 .07
.33 - .07
.35 .75
Ultrasound Fat (UFAT)

















.45
.15 .65
- .19 .08
Ultrasound % Intramuscular Fat (UIMF)


















.41

.71

Ultrasound Ribeye Area (UREA)



















.34 -.02
.69 .38
Fat thickness (FAT)




















.39
- .35 .17
Marbling (MARB)





















.48

Rib-eye area (REA)






















.42 .42
Carcass weight (CW)























.40
1Heritability estimates are on the diagonal.
2Upper off-diagonals are genetic correlations among traits.
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