The principal component of body height linear type traits and the relationship level to milk yields as Holstein cattle selection criterion

Abstract

The essential body height characteristics associated with milk yields need to be better identified because research on that topic is rarely undertaken. On the other hand, body height measurements are widely known to be related to cow live weight. In particular, this study sought to identify the most relevant body height dimension trait as selection criteria for the milk yield increase program. The test animals for the study were 122 heads of Holstein cows, and seven characteristics of body height were recorded for each cow separately. Principal component analysis (PCA), correlation, and regression were used to analyze the data. As an analytical tool, the R program 4.2.1 with RStudio was employed. The discovered primary elements of PCA's output were the wither height (WTH), back height (BCH), rump height (RMH), thurl height (TLH), tail-head height (THH), and pins height (PNH). Afterward, the correlation and regression analysis findings showed that the rear udder height (RUH) had the highest priority in correlating with milk yields, followed by the thurl height (TLH). In conclusion, it is proposed that the RUH be utilized for the cow selection program while the TLH is used for the calf and heifer selection program. However, wither height (WTH) is the fittest metric for beef cattle and barn facility-related research.