Evaluating dairy sires for conformation of their daughters: use of first classification records

1985 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Meyer ◽  
EB Burnside ◽  
K Hammond ◽  
AE McClintock

Type classification records for 18 132 Australian Holstein-Friesian heifers were analysed. These consisted of 27 traits scored in three or six categories, from three rounds of classification between 1981 and 1983. Only first lactation, first classification records were considered. The model of analysis included herd-round-classifier subclasses as fixed and sires as random effects, fitting age at classification as a linear and quadratic covariable within subclasses. Herd-round-classifier effects explained between 18% and 37% of total sums of squares. Age accounted for 5.8-2.4% for traits related to body size and for 1.6% or less for the other traits. Heritability estimates obtained using a Restricted Maximum Likelihood procedure ranged from 0.44 for total score, 0.42 for stature and 0.40 for dairy character, to 0.10 or less for feet and legs, rear heel, rear legs set, bone quality and rear teat placement. On average, values were higher than corresponding 'all-lactation' estimates. Covariance components between all traits were obtained. The resulting genetic variance/covariance matrix was then forced to be positive semi-definite before calculating genetic and phenotypic correlations. Breeding value estimates for all sires and traits were determined using a univariate Best Linear Unbiased Prediction procedure for the above model. In addition, the relationship matrix between males was incorporated. There were 2 597 sires with an average of 23.2 effective daughters, and 474 sires without daughter records included as male ancestors. The association between breeding value estimates for different traits was examined by multiple regression. Sire-son regressions were determined and compared with their expectations. Australian Breeding Values for production were obtained for a subset of sires and contrasted to the type proofs. There seemed to be little correlation between genetic merit for type and milk production.

2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122
Author(s):  
H. Atil ◽  
A. S. Khattab

Abstract. A total of 1931 normal first lactation records of Holstein Friesian cows kept at Dena Farm in Egypt during the period from 1987 to 1994 were used to estimate phenotypic and genetic parameters for 90 day milk yield (90 dMY), 305 day milk yield (305 dMY) and lactation period (LP). In addition, 76 bulls with at least ten daughters were used to compare three methods of sire transmitting ability. A least Squares analysis of variance show significant effect of month and year of calving and age at first calving for different traits studied, except the effect of age at first calving on LP. Heritability estimates for 90 dMY, 305 dMY and LP were 0.39 ± 0.08, 0.27 ± 0.07 and 0.14 ± 0.05, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between different traits were positive and significant. Sires with at least ten daughters were evaluated by best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP), least Squares means (LSM) and regression of the future daughters mean on the present daughters mean. The product moment correlations between different traits studied were positive and high (= 0.96).


Author(s):  
B Grundy ◽  
WG Hill

An optimum way of selecting animals is through a prediction of their genetic merit (estimated breeding value, EBV), which can be achieved using a best linear unbiased predictor (BLUP) (Henderson, 1975). Selection decisions in a commercial environment, however, are rarely made solely on genetic merit but also on additional factors, an important example of which is to limit the accumulation of inbreeding. Comparison of rates of inbreeding under BLUP for a range of hentabilities highlights a trend of increasing inbreeding with decreasing heritability. It is therefore proposed that selection using a heritability which is artificially raised would yield lower rates of inbreeding than would otherwise be the case.


1995 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Roden

AbstractStochastic simulation was used to compare the results of alternative breeding systems in a sheep population divided into 10 flocks of 120 ewes. The breeding systems compared were selection within closed flocks (CF), a closed nucleus system (CNS), an open nucleus system (ONS) and open nucleus systems with the selection of nucleus replacements being restricted to either nucleus born males (ONSRm) or nucleus born females (ONSRf). Selection was for a best linear unbiased prediction of breeding value for lamb live weight which had a heritability of 0·17. The open nucleus breeding systems (ONS, ONSRm, ONSRf) resulted in higher rates of genetic gain, more predictable selection responses and lower rates of inbreeding than either the closed nucleus system (CNS) or selection within closed flocks (CF). Initial genetic differences between flocks resulted in higher rates of genetic gain in the nucleus breeding systems due to the use of between flock genetic variance. In the ONS system up to 25% of nucleus sires and approximately 50% of nucleus dams were born in base flocks. Nevertheless if selection of either nucleus sires or dams was restricted to nucleus born animals there was very little change in genetic gain or rate of inbreeding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-333
Author(s):  
M.M. El-Attrouny ◽  
E.A. Manaa ◽  
S.I. Ramadan

Objectives of the current study were to i) investigate effects of selection for bodyweight at four weeks old on bodyweight (BW) and bodyweight gain (BWG) across four generations; ii) estimate correlated response to selection for BW and BWG at different ages; and iii) document best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) of genetic trends for BW and BWG across four generations of selection. A total of 3540 chicks from 444 sires and 885 dams were used to estimate heritabilities, and genetic and phenotypic correlations for growth traits, including BW at 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks, and BWG between 0 and 2, 2 and 4, 4 and 6, and 0 and 6 weeks. The selection effects, correlated responses and genetic trend for BW and BWG across generations were quantified by applying the animal model. Estimates of heritability for BW and BWG ranged from 0.22 to 0.42 and from 0.18 to 0.23, respectively. Ranges of genetic and phenotypic correlations for BW varied from 0.31 to 0.92 and 0.05 to 0.65, respectively. Moreover, estimates of genetic and phenotypic correlations for BWG at different ages were from 0.12 to 0.72 and 0.17 to 0.60, respectively. Bodyweight and BWG estimates after four generations of selection were significantly higher than those of the base generation. Moreover, contrasts of generation means were significant across the four generations. The genetic trends across the generations clarified that BLUP estimates for BW and BWG gradually increased with the advance of generations until the fourth generation. Keywords: best linear unbiased prediction, bodyweight, heritability, selection, genetic trend


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244064
Author(s):  
Anne Ricard ◽  
Bernard Dumont Saint Priest ◽  
Marjorie Chassier ◽  
Margot Sabbagh ◽  
Sophie Danvy

The aim was to assess the efficiency of gaits characteristics in improving jumping performance of sport horses and confront accelerometers and judge scores for this purpose. A sample of 1,477 young jumping horses were measured using accelerometers for walk, trot, and canter. Of these, 702 were genotyped with 541,175 SNPs after quality control. Dataset of 26,914 horses scored by judges in breeding shows for gaits and dataset of 142,682 horses that performed in jumping competitions were used. Analysis of accelerometric data defined three principal components from 64% to 89% of variability explained for each gait. Animal mixed models were used to estimate genetic parameters with the inclusion to up 308,105 ancestors for the relationship matrix. Fixed effects for the accelerometric variables included velocity, gender, age, and event. A GWAS was performed on residuals with the fixed effect of each SNP. The GWAS did not reveal other QTLs for gait traits than the one related to the height at withers. The accelerometric principal components were highly heritable for the one linked to stride frequency and dorsoventral displacement at trot (0.53) and canter (0.41) and moderately for the one linked to longitudinal activities (0.33 for trot, 0.19 for canter). Low heritabilities were found for the walk traits. The genetic correlations of the accelerometric principal components with the jumping competition were essentially nil, except for a negative correlation with longitudinal activity at canter (-0.19). The genetic correlation between the judges’ scores and the jumping competition reached 0.45 for canter (0.31 for trot and 0.17 for walk). But these correlations turned negative when the scores were corrected for the known parental breeding value for competition at the time of the judging. In conclusion, gait traits were not helpful to select for jumping performances. Different gaits may be suitable for a good jumping horse.


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 361-373
Author(s):  
Piter Bijma ◽  
John A Woolliams

Abstract Predictions for the rate of inbreeding (ΔF) in populations with discrete generations undergoing selection on best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) of breeding value were developed. Predictions were based on the concept of long-term genetic contributions using a recently established relationship between expected contributions and rates of inbreeding and a known procedure for predicting expected contributions. Expected contributions of individuals were predicted using a linear model, μi(x) = α βsi, where si denotes the selective advantage as a deviation from the contemporaries, which was the sum of the breeding values of the individual and the breeding values of its mates. The accuracy of predictions was evaluated for a wide range of population and genetic parameters. Accurate predictions were obtained for populations of 5–20 sires. For 20–80 sires, systematic underprediction of on average 11% was found, which was shown to be related to the goodness of fit of the linear model. Using simulation, it was shown that a quadratic model would give accurate predictions for those schemes. Furthermore, it was shown that, contrary to random selection, ΔF less than halved when the number of parents was doubled and that in specific cases ΔF may increase with the number of dams.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 569
Author(s):  
Chen Wei ◽  
Hanpeng Luo ◽  
Bingru Zhao ◽  
Kechuan Tian ◽  
Xixia Huang ◽  
...  

Genomic evaluations are a method for improving the accuracy of breeding value estimation. This study aimed to compare estimates of genetic parameters and the accuracy of breeding values for wool traits in Merino sheep between pedigree-based best linear unbiased prediction (PBLUP) and single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) using Bayesian inference. Data were collected from 28,391 yearlings of Chinese Merino sheep (classified in 1992–2018) at the Xinjiang Gonaisi Fine Wool Sheep-Breeding Farm, China. Subjectively-assessed wool traits, namely, spinning count (SC), crimp definition (CRIM), oil (OIL), and body size (BS), and objectively-measured traits, namely, fleece length (FL), greasy fleece weight (GFW), mean fiber diameter (MFD), crimp number (CN), and body weight pre-shearing (BWPS), were analyzed. The estimates of heritability for wool traits were low to moderate. The largest h2 values were observed for FL (0.277) and MFD (0.290) with ssGBLUP. The heritabilities estimated for wool traits with ssGBLUP were slightly higher than those obtained with PBLUP. The accuracies of breeding values were low to moderate, ranging from 0.362 to 0.573 for the whole population and from 0.318 to 0.676 for the genotyped subpopulation. The correlation between the estimated breeding values (EBVs) and genomic EBVs (GEBVs) ranged from 0.717 to 0.862 for the whole population, and the relative increase in accuracy when comparing EBVs with GEBVs ranged from 0.372% to 7.486% for these traits. However, in the genotyped population, the rank correlation between the estimates obtained with PBLUP and ssGBLUP was reduced to 0.525 to 0.769, with increases in average accuracy of 3.016% to 11.736% for the GEBVs in relation to the EBVs. Thus, genomic information could allow us to more accurately estimate the relationships between animals and improve estimates of heritability and the accuracy of breeding values by ssGBLUP.


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