Genetic parameters for body weight from birth to calving and associations between weights with test-day, health, and female fertility traits

Abstract

A data set including 57,868 records for calf birth weight (CABW) and 9,462 records for weight at first insemination (IBW) were used for the estimation of direct and maternal genetic effects in Holstein Friesian dairy cattle. Furthermore, CABW and IBW were correlated with test-day production records and health traits in first-lactation cows, and with nonreturn rates in heifers. Health traits considered overall disease categories from the International Committee for Animal Recording diagnosis key, including the general disease status, diarrhea, respiratory diseases, mastitis, claw disorders, female fertility disorders, and metabolic disorders. For single-trait measurements of CABW and IBW, animal models with maternal genetic effects were applied. The direct heritability was 0.47 for CABW and 0.20 for IBW, and the direct genetic correlation between CABW and IBW was 0.31. A moderate maternal heritability (0.19) was identified for CABW, but the maternal genetic effect was close to zero for IBW. The correlation between direct and maternal genetic effects was antagonistic for CABW (-0.39) and for IBW (-0.24). In bivariate animal models, only weak genetic and phenotypic correlations were identified between CABW and IBW with either test-day production or health traits in early lactation. Apart from metabolic disorders, there was a general tendency for increasing disease susceptibilities with increasing CABW. The genetic correlation between IBW and nonreturn rates in heifers after 56 d and after 90 d was slightly positive (0.18), but close to zero when correlating nonreturn rates with CABW. For the longitudinal BW structure from birth to the age of 24 mo, random regression models with the time-dependent covariate "age in months" were applied. Evaluation criteria (Bayesian information criterion and residual variances) suggested Legendre polynomials of order 3 to modeling the longitudinal body weight (BW) structure. Direct heritabilities around birth and insemination dates were slightly larger than estimates for CABW and IBW from the single-trait models, but maternal heritabilities were exactly the same from both models. Genetic correlations between BW were close to 1 for neighboring age classes, but decreased with increasing time spans. The genetic correlation between BW at d 0 (birth date) and at 24 mo was even negative (-0.20). Random regression model estimates confirmed the antagonistic relationship between direct and maternal genetic effects, especially during calfhood. This study based on a large data set in dairy cattle confirmed genetic parameters and (co)variance components for BW as identified in beef cattle populations. However, BW records from an early stage of life were inappropriate early predictors for dairy cow health and productivity.

Genome-wide associations and detection of potential candidate genes for direct genetic and maternal genetic effects influencing dairy cattle body weight at different ages

“…Berry et al [5] reported that heavier cows had a shorter interval between calving and first service, but conception rates decreased with increasing BW. In contrast, in heifers, increasing BW was associated with improved non-return rates after 56 and 90 days [4]. Hence, we hypothesize that different genes are involved in BW at different ages, as indicated in quantitative genetic studies via random regression models [4].…”

Genetic trends and trade-offs between growth and reproductive traits in a Nellore herd

“…The direct genetic effects are larger than maternal genetic differences (Table B in S1 File ) [ 20 , 24 ]. Maternal genetic effect depends of milk production, which has low to moderate heritability [ 24 , 25 ] and other maternal traits for example calf birth weight [ 25 ], that affect BW of calves indirectly. Thus, the phenotypic selection to increase BW will affect the averages of direct genetic effect but will not interfere on the averages of maternal genetic effect ( Table 2 , S1 and S2 Figs).…”

Economic trait of cows with different duration of prenatal growth period

“…Наведено різні дані про зв'язок живої маси з подальшими надоями. Повідомляється, що в разі отримання надто високих приростів із телят виростають менш молочні корови, оскільки надмірна годівля спричиняє утворення та відкладенню жиру в тілі, а також змінює тип худоби (Yin & König, 2018).…”

“…З'ясовано вплив маси тіла при народженні телиць на захворюваність після першого отелення на мастит, діарею, респіраторні хвороби та захворювання ратиць (Yin et al, 2018). Встановлено, що телиці, які мали масу тіла при народженні вищу, більш схильні до порушення загального обміну речовин і згаданих хвороб.…”