Genetic and phenotypic correlations between linear type traits and production traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle

1994 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Brotherstone

AbstractFirst lactation production and linear type records of 72 559Holstein-Friesian cows, calving from 1982 to 1989, were analysed by multivariate restricted maximum likelihood, using a sire model. The data comprised offspring of 1066 randomly used sires, and 91 proven i.e. widely used bulls. All phenotypic correlations between the type traits and the yield traits were small, but moderate genetic correlations were obtained between milk, fat and protein yield and angularity (~—0·43) and between the yield traits and udder depth (~0·44), indicating that higher yielding heifers are more angular and have deeper udders. The heritabilities of the type traits were in line with previous analyses, but those for milk, fat and protein yield were rather high at 0·47, 0·52 and 0·45 respectively

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Meyer ◽  
Susan Brotherstone ◽  
W. G. Hill ◽  
Maureen R. Edwards

ABSTRACTRecords on 18 939 Friesian-Holstein cows classified for 16 linear-type traits and total score in first lactation by the British Friesian Cattle Society and similarly on 13 192 cows in second lactation were analysed to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations among the linear traits. These comprised progeny of 542 and 477 young sires, respectively, together with older sires included to increase connections. Correlations of type with milk production traits and correlations between type in first and second lactations were estimated from subsets (of about one-half) of the data. Effects due to proportion of Holstein in the sires were removed.Heritabilities of the linear traits were similar in first and second lactations, ranging from under 0·15 for one of the leg traits to about 0·5 for stature. Genetic correlations between traits in first and second lactation were generally over 0·75, whereas phenotypic correlations for most traits ranged from 0·3 to 0·6. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among the linear traits were generally low, except for those involving size.Phenotypic correlations between linear traits and milk yield and composition were all small, none exceeding 0·3. Genetic correlations were generally almost as small: taking first and second lactations together, the only consistent non-negligible correlations with yield were for angularity (+0·3), fore-udder attachment (–0·2) and udder depth (–0·4). The linear traits are not useful predictors of yield.


1991 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Brotherstone ◽  
W. G. Hill

AbstractThe relation between survival to complete lactations 2, 3 and 4 and both linear type and production traits of pedigree Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle in the United Kingdom was analysed. There were records on 23 071 pedigree animals which were themselves type classified as heifers. The linear and quadratic phenotypic regressions of survival on most type traits were significant, even with yield fitted as a covariate. Phenotypic regressions of survival on milk, fat and protein yield were significantly positive, but that on protein content significantly negative. Phenotypic correlations with survival were under 0·1 for the linear traits, 0·16 for a subjective total type score, and 0·14 for milk yield. Genetic correlations between survival and type traits, estimated by multivariate restricted maximum likelihood, were as high as 0·4 for several traits of the udder and teats and for total score, and higher than for milk yield or composition. Regressions of survival on estimated sire transmitting abilities gave rather lower estimates of genetic correlations, except for total score. The results indicate that in these pedigree and classifying herds the total score is a culling criterion in its own right.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 539-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Zink ◽  
L. Zavadilová ◽  
J. Lassen ◽  
M. Štípková ◽  
M. Vacek ◽  
...  

Genetic and phenotypic correlations between production traits, selected linear type traits, and somatic cell score were estimated. The results could be useful for breeding programs involving Czech Holstein dairy cows or other populations. A series of bivariate analyses was applied whereby (co)variance components were estimated using average information (AI-REML) implemented via the DMU statistical package. Chosen phenotypic data included average somatic cell score per a 305-day standard first lactation as well as the production traits milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, fat percentage, and protein percentage per the standard first lactation. Fifteen classified linear type traits were added, as they were measured at first lactation in the Czech Holstein population. All phenotypic data were collected within the progeny testing program of the Czech-Moravian Breeders Corporation from 2005 to 2009. The number of animals for each linear type trait was 59 454, except for locomotion, for which 53 424 animals were recorded. The numbers of animals with records of milk production data were 43 992 for milk yield, fat percentage, protein percentage, and fat-to-protein percentage ratio and 43 978 for fat yield and protein yield. In total, 27 098 somatic cell score records were available. The strongest positive genetic correlation between production traits and linear type traits was estimated between udder width and fat yield (0.51 ± 0.04), while the strongest negative correlation estimated was between body condition score and fat yield (−0.45 ± 0.03). Other estimated correlations were between those two extremes but generally they were close to zero or positive. The strongest negative phenotypic correlations were estimated between udder depth and milk yield and protein yield (both −0.17), while the strongest positive phenotypic correlations were estimated between milk yield, protein yield, and udder width (both 0.32).  


1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Mrode ◽  
G. J. T. Swanson ◽  
M. S. Winters

AbstractSomatic cell count (SCO data collected on individual cows since 1991 were obtained from National Milk Records. Following validation genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated from the lactation average SCCfor 63 424 Holstein/Friesian (HOD, 7966 Ayrshire (AYR) and 14 509 Jersey (JER) animals. The first three lactations were included in the analyses. The heritabilities (h2) for first lactation log SCC (LSCC) were 0·11 (s.e. 0·01), 0·12 (s.e. 0·02) and 0·09 (s.e. 0·03) for the HOL, JER and AYR breeds respectively. Estimates for herd sire interaction (c2) effects ranged from 0·01 to 0·02. Analysis of the first three lactations with a repeatability model produced similar h2 and c2 estimates. Permanent environment estimates ranged from 0·21 to 0·25. Heritabilities of individual test day LSCC ranged from 0·04 (s.e. 0·02) to 0·10 (s.e. 0·03). Genetic correlations between SCC and milk, fat and protein yield for the HOL breed were 0·06 (s.e. 0·05), 0·14 (s.e. 0·06) and 0·09 (s.e. 0·06) respectively. Genetic evaluations were obtained for 666 595 and 9136 animals for Holsteins and Ayrshires, providing evaluations on 13 525 and 1713 bulls respectively in each breed. The range of LSCC predicted transmitting abilities (PTA) was ±25% although the proportion of bulls with reliability > 0·50 was low at 0·17 and 0-05 for HOL and AYR respectively. The correlations between the LSCC PTAs for HOL bulls with at least 50 daughters and their genetic evaluations for linear type were essentially zero for body and some udder traits. Significant negative correlations were obtained for a number of traits including foot angle (0·14), fore-udder attachment (0·19) and udder depth (0·19) and a positive correlation for teat length (0·15). SCC evaluations will be implemented by the Animal Data Centre. Reliabilities will be lower than production because of the lower h2 for SCC and the lower progeny group size since only 0·80 of recorded cows have SCC records.


Author(s):  
Mladen Popovac ◽  
Aleksandar Miletić ◽  
Nenad Đurić ◽  
Nenad Mićić ◽  
Mihailo Radivojević ◽  
...  

The objective of this paper was to study variability, heritability and correlation of the three production traits in 1409 first-calf heifers of Holstein-Friesian breed; including the determination of the quantity of milk during lactation (ML), the quantity of milk fat during lactation (MM) and the quantity of protein during lactation (PR). According to the obtained results it could be concluded that there were statistically significant differences (P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.001) between ML, MM and PR regarding the effect of season of the first calving and the length of the first lactation. In addition, there were also significant differences (P<0.01, P<0.001) between ML and PR with respect to the effect of farm on which animals were raised, while on MM variability the year and age at first calving had a significant effect (P<0.05). A share of Holstein genes and the ration which animals were fed had no effect (P>0.05) on variability of any of the examined traits, while the farm on which animals were raised had no effect (P>0.05) on MM, and year and age at first calving did not demonstrate (P>0.05) statistically significant effect on ML and PR. By applying the animal model, based on the use of kinship matrix which involved 3867 animals, by help of REML methodology following heritability coefficients were evaluated: ML h2= 0.25; MM h2= 0.40; PR h2= 0.37. Coefficients determined for genetic and phenotypic correlations indicated existence of complete and positive correlations between these traits the interval of values being from rg = 0.96 between ML and MM to rg = 1.00 between ML and PR.


1994 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Mrode ◽  
G. J. T. Swanson

AbstractFirst lactation records for production traits (milk, fat and protein yields) and 17 linear type traits for 7169 Ayrshire heifers were analysed to estimate genetic parameters for type traits and to examine the relationship between type and production traits. A multivariate restricted maximum likelihood procedure fitting a sire model with sire relationships included was used for all analyses.Heritabilities for production traits were approximately 0·3 and genetic correlations among them were high (>0·84). The estimates of heritabilities for type traits were mainly low to moderate ranging from 0·04 to 0·42. Angularity (0·80), beef shape (0·49), foot angle (0·53) and stature (0·46) had higher heritabilities. Generally phenotypic correlations among type traits were lower than the genetic correlations. The highest negative genetic correlation was between rear legs side and rear legs rear (-0·95) and the highest positive correlation between chest width and beef shape (0·93).Genetic correlations between type and production were low to moderate and were similar for milk, fat and protein yields. The genetic correlations between the production traits and chest width, udder depth and beef shape were negative but were positive between production and angularity, rear udder width and teat placement side.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
V. Pantelic ◽  
D. Niksic ◽  
D. Ostojic-Andric ◽  
Z. Novakovic ◽  
D. Ruzic-Muslic ◽  
...  

The study of the production capacities of cattleaimed at increase of the capacity of cattle to produce milk, milk fat and calves, greatly depends on pehotypic and genetic variability, heritability and correlation between preferable traits, as well as level of production in the population. Objective of the study was to calculate the variability, phenotypic and genetic correlation of milk and type traits by applying the method of linear scoring of cows in the nucleus herd of Holstein-Friesian bull dams and also to determine their significance in cattle selection. For all studied traits, main variation-statistical parameters were calculated by applying method of least squares: arithmetic mean, standard deviation, variation coefficient, standard error and variation interval. Negative phenotypic correlations between production of milk and type traits ranged from -0.12 (rear leg set, side view) to -0.01 (rump height and body depth) and positive from 0.03 (rear teat placement) to 0.23 (suspensory ligament). Phenotypic correlations between milk fat percentage and type traits varied in the range from -0.08 (fore teat placement) to 0.14 (rump height). Negative genetic correlations between milk production and type traits ranged from -0.11 (rear udder height) to -0.01 (rump width and dairy form), and positive from 0.03 (rear legs set, rear view) to 0.23 (suspensory ligament). Genetic correlations between the percentage of milk fat and type traits ranged from -0.15 (pelvic position) to 0.18 (rump height). Information about phenotypic and genetic correlations between milk and type traits can be of multiple significance in cow selection since it offers possibility to select heads of cattle for multiple traits at the same time.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-68
Author(s):  
Vlada Pantelic ◽  
Dragan Niksic ◽  
Nevena Maksimovic ◽  
Dusica Ostojic-Andric ◽  
Marina Lazarevic ◽  
...  

Determining the degree of correlation between two or more traits depends to a large extent on their manifestation. The knowledge of genetic and phenotypic correlations between body characteristics of the animal and product characteristics can help define the breeding goal, but also to define and harmonize the assessment criteria. Although the phenotypic and genetic correlations between the traits of body development and type and the milk yield show different degrees of variation, they should be taken into account in the final assessment of the breeding value of the animal so that the selection programs are more comprehesively defined. The examination of phenotypic correlations of linear assessment scores of the type, milk and fertility traits was performed on a total of 303 cows of the Simental breed in the first three lactations. The examination of phenotypic correlations included the following milk performance properties in the first three standard lactations: milk yield, milk fat content, milk fat yield, yield of 4% corrected milk; also fertility traits: age at current calving and service period in each lactation; while the linear type scoring included a group of traits: type or frame, muscularity, fundament, udder.


1976 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. W. TONG ◽  
B. W. KENNEDY ◽  
J. E. MOXLEY

A total of 13,561 Holstein 305-day lactation records were studied to examine the effects of correcting records for linear and quadratic effects of 305-day net energy intake from silage, hay, pasture and meal feeding on estimates of genetic parameters of milk, fat and protein yield and fat and protein percent. Correcting records for net energy intake reduced variances of yield traits, but had little effect on composition trait variances. When expressed as a percentage of the total variance, the relative importance of sire and sire–herd components were unchanged using corrected records, and heritabilities, except for that of protein yield, were unaltered. Cow components of yield traits were reduced relative to other components after records were corrected for feeding levels. Consequently, repeatabilities were reduced as well, suggesting that a large portion of the permanent environmental effects on yield traits may be of nutritional origin. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between yield traits were also reduced appreciably after records were corrected for feed intake. Genetic relationships between milk, fat and protein yield may not be as great as commonly believed.


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