Climate change is making it more difficult to raise cattle -- growth and reproduction are affected by heat -- so it's critical to breed cattle better adapted to a hotter and longer summer. A new study shows it's possible to identify the genes within breeds of cattle that would lead to the sweatiest, heat-tolerant offspring.
Climate change is making it more difficult to raise cattle -- growth and reproduction are affected by heat -- so it's critical to breed cattle better adapted to a hotter and longer summer. Cows eliminate about 85% of their body heat via sweat, she said. She said the study found there is a lot of variation between cows of the same breed, in this case, Brangus -- which are a cross between Brahman and Angus. Being able to select cattle to breed based on sweating ability could lead to herds that can tolerate hotter climates and still grow and reproduce.
The study found that a moderate amount of variation in sweating ability is genetic, so farmers could select sweatier cattle based on genetic markers. It found that genetics from both the Brahman and Angus genes positively contribute to sweating ability in Brangus cattle.Aakilah S. Hernandez, Gabriel A. Zayas, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Kaitlyn M. Sarlo Davila, Fahad Rafiq, Andrea N. Nunez, Cristiane Gonçalves Titto, Raluca G. Mateescu.
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