Genetic Parameters of Conformation Traits, Milk Yield, and Herd Life in Holsteins

Short, T.H.; Lawlor, T.J.

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(92)77958-2

Cited by 180 publications

(162 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…This value is similar to that reported by de Haan et al (1992). Short & Lawlor (1992) reported higher values, using milk production adjusted to equivalent maturity and 305 days. The estimated mean of MY1 was also higher than that reported by Gill & Allaire (1976).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Profitability measures of dairy cows

2008

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This study was aimed at defining profitability measures designed for prediction of breeding values (EBV) in dairy cows. Performance and economic data recorded in herds enrolled in the DHIA (Dairy Herd Improvement Association) program in Kentucky, USA, were used to evaluate economic functions which included the following profitability measures: lifetime net income (LNI), efficiency (EF), milk income over feed costs (IOFC), net income per day of productive life (NIPL), net income at the end of the first lactation (NI1), and milk income over feed costs at the end of the first lactation (IOFC1). The estimated averages for LNI, EF, IOFC, NIPL, NI1 and IOFC1 were respectively US$ 532.13, 1.04, US$ 3038.19, US$ -0.16, US$ -69.34 and US$ 1293.77. The heritability estimates for these traits ranged from 0.06 to 0.09. The EBV and Spearman correlation estimates were positive, ranging from moderate to high values, suggesting a direct linear relationship among the profitability measures. LNI was the best profitability measure and genetic correlation estimates between LNI and economic measures recorded in first lactation (NI1 and IOFC1) were moderate (<0.56). NI1 was the most efficient profitability measure, but it would be easier to record data to calculate IOFC1. Overall, results do not suggest any economic function measured in the first lactation as a selection criteria for LNI. The profitability measures were affected by the short productive life of the animals in the herds. Selection based on different profitability measures would not result in similar ranking of sires.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Profitability measures of dairy cows

2008

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“…Short and Lawlor (1992) reported similar phenotypic and genetic correlations between milk yield and the conformation traits of stature, body depth, udder depth and overall conformation.…”

Section: Heritabilitiesmentioning

confidence: 74%

Genetic and phenotypic correlations among feed efficiency, production and selected conformation traits in dairy cows

Manafiazar

Goonewardene

Miglior

et al. 2016

Animal

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The difficulties and costs of measuring individual feed intake in dairy cattle are the primary factors limiting the genetic study of feed intake and utilisation, and hence the potential of their subsequent industry-wide applications. However, indirect selection based on heritable, easily measurable, and genetically correlated traits, such as conformation traits, may be an alternative approach to improve feed efficiency. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations among feed intake, production, and feed efficiency traits (particularly residual feed intake; RFI) with routinely recorded conformation traits. A total of 496 repeated records from 260 Holstein dairy cows in different lactations (260, 159 and 77 from first, second and third lactation, respectively) were considered in this study. Individual daily feed intake and monthly BW and body condition scores of these animals were recorded from 5 to 305 days in milk within each lactation from June 2007 to July 2013. Milk yield and composition data of all animals within each lactation were retrieved, and the first lactation conformation traits for primiparous animals were extracted from databases. Individual RFI over 301 days was estimated using linear regression of total 301 days actual energy intake on a total of 301 days estimated traits of metabolic BW, milk production energy requirement, and empty BW change. Pair-wise bivariate animal models were used to estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters among the studied traits. Estimated heritabilities of total intake and production traits ranged from 0.27 ± 0.07 for lactation actual energy intake to 0.45 ± 0.08 for average body condition score over 301 days of the lactation period. RFI showed a moderate heritability estimate (0.20 ± 0.03) and non-significant phenotypic and genetic correlations with lactation 3.5 % fat-corrected milk and average BW over lactation. Among the conformation traits, dairy strength, stature, rear attachment width, chest width and pin width had significant (P < 0.05) moderate to strong genetic correlations with RFI. Combinations of these conformation traits could be used as RFI indicators in the dairy genetic improvement programmes to increase the accuracy of the genetic evaluation of feed intake and utilisation included in the index.

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“…This genetic correlation is indicative of a favourable association between the two traits. However, corresponding genetic correlations ranging from -29 to 0.47 were reported in literature (Short & Lawlor, 1992;Weigel et al, 1998;Cruickshank et al, 2002;Zavadilová et al, 2009;Samoré et al, 2010). For example, Cruickshank et al (2002), in a study on registered US Guernsey cows, reported a moderately negative estimate of genetic correlation between dairy strength with functional herd life (-0.29).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Relationships between functional herd life and conformation traits in the South African Jersey breed

Toit¹,

Wyk²,

Maiwashe³

2012

SA J. An. Sci.

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________________________________________________________________________________ AbstractThe genetic relationship between conformation traits and functional herd life of the South African Jersey population was investigated. Data on conformation traits (n = 46 238) and functional herd life (n = 90 530) on registered South African Jersey cows calving between 1989 and 2008 were obtained from the Integrated Registration and Genetic Information System. Conformation traits were scored using a subjective linear scoring system ranging from 1 to 9, except for foot angle, with a maximum score of 8. Conformation traits included stature, chest width, body depth, dairy strength, rump angle, thurl width, rear leg side view, foot angle, fore udder attachment, rear udder height, rear udder width, udder support, udder depth, front teat placement, rear teat placement and front teat length. Genetic correlations between conformation traits and functional herd life were estimated by a series of bivariate analyses. Significant moderate to strong positive genetic correlations between most udder traits and functional herd life (0.23 to 0.63) were estimated. The most important udder traits related to functional herd life were fore udder attachment, rear udder height and udder depth. Most of the body structure traits had a low to moderate negative correlation with functional herd life (-0.04 to -0.27). However, rump angle and foot angle were estimated to have a moderate positive genetic correlation with functional herd life. The genetic relationships between functional herd life and conformation traits in the South African Jersey breed indicate that conformation traits could be used to enhance the accuracy of genetic evaluation for functional herd life. It is therefore recommended that current national genetic evaluation for functional herd life in the South African Jersey breed should include conformation traits. ________________________________________________________________________________

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Genetic Parameters of Conformation Traits, Milk Yield, and Herd Life in Holsteins

Cited by 180 publications

References 18 publications

Profitability measures of dairy cows

Profitability measures of dairy cows

Genetic and phenotypic correlations among feed efficiency, production and selected conformation traits in dairy cows

Relationships between functional herd life and conformation traits in the South African Jersey breed

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