Genetic correlations of twinning frequency with other economic traits in dairy cattle

1990 ◽  
Vol 107 (1-6) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Maijala ◽  
Anu Osva
2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafedh Ben Zaabza ◽  
Abderrahmen Ben Gara ◽  
Hedi Hammami ◽  
Mohamed Amine Ferchichi ◽  
Boulbaba Rekik

Abstract. A multi-trait repeatability animal model under restricted maximum likelihood (REML) and Bayesian methods was used to estimate genetic parameters of milk, fat, and protein yields in Tunisian Holstein cows. The estimates of heritability for milk, fat, and protein yields from the REML procedure were 0.21 ± 0.05, 0.159 ± 0.04, and 0.158 ± 0.04, respectively. The corresponding results from the Bayesian procedure were 0.273 ± 0.02, 0.198 ± 0.01, and 0.187 ± 0.01. Heritability estimates tended to be larger via the Bayesian than those obtained by the REML method. Genetic and permanent environmental variances estimated by REML were smaller than those obtained by the Bayesian analysis. Inversely, REML estimates of the residual variances were larger than Bayesian estimates. Genetic and permanent correlation estimates were on the other hand comparable by both REML and Bayesian methods with permanent environmental being larger than genetic correlations. Results from this study confirm previous reports on genetic parameters for milk traits in Tunisian Holsteins and suggest that a multi-trait approach can be an alternative for implementing a routine genetic evaluation of the Tunisian dairy cattle population.


2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 413 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Prayaga ◽  
N. J. Corbet ◽  
D. J. Johnston ◽  
M. L. Wolcott ◽  
G. Fordyce ◽  
...  

Genetic analyses of tropical adaptive traits were conducted for two tropically adapted genotypes, Brahman (BRAH) and Tropical Composite (TCOMP). Traits included tick scores (TICK), faecal egg counts (EPG), buffalo fly-lesion scores (FLY), rectal temperatures under hot conditions (TEMP), coat scores (COAT), coat colour on a light to dark scale (COLOUR), navel scores (NAVEL) and temperament measured as flight time (FT). The data comprised adaptive measures recorded at specific times on 2071 heifers comprising 966 BRAH and 1105 TCOMP. The genetic correlations of these adaptive traits with heifer growth, scanned carcass, pubertal measures and steer growth and carcass traits were estimated. BRAH recorded significantly (P < 0.05) lower TICK, EPG, FLY and TEMP than did TCOMP. BRAH also had significantly sleeker coats, lighter coat colour, more pendulous navels and more docile temperament than did TCOMP. The heritability of TICK and FLY was low (<20%), that of EPG, TEMP, NAVEL and FT was moderate (20–50%) and that of COAT and COLOUR high (>50%). In general, phenotypic correlations between these adaptive traits were low and genetic correlations were non-significant, implying trait independence. Genetic correlations between EPG and weight traits (0.29 to 0.44) indicated a positive relationship, implying no deleterious effect of worms on the growth at a genetic level, especially in TCOMP. The negative genetic correlations between COAT and body-condition score across genotypes (–0.33 to –0.48) indicated genetic advantage of sleek coats in tropics. A positive genetic correlation between COAT and the age at the first-observed corpus luteum (0.73) in BRAH indicated that BRAH with sleeker coats were genetically early maturing. Further, sleeker coats were genetically indicative of lower weights and lower fat cover at puberty in BRAH. The scanned fat measures at rump and rib sites for feedlot steers showed strong genetic correlation (0.50–0.58) with heifer TEMP, indicating genetically fatter animals had genetically lower heat tolerance. In BRAH, a positive genetic association between heifer COLOUR and scanned fat measures in steers (0.50–0.54) implied increased fatness in genetically darker animals. Further, in BRAH, a strong negative genetic correlation (–0.97) was observed between steer retail beef yield and heifer TEMP, indicating a favourable genetic association. In general, genetic correlations between adaptive traits and other economic traits were genotype specific. Further, it can be concluded that selection for productive and pubertal traits in tropical beef cattle genotypes would not adversely affect their tropical adaptability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 56-56
Author(s):  
Han A Mulder ◽  
Marieke Poppe ◽  
Tom V L Berghof

Abstract In their lifetime, animals experience various environmental perturbations, such as heat stress, a disease or a change in feed, which require a response. Animals differ in their capacity to respond to various perturbations; this is called resilience, which is the capacity of animals to be minimally affected by perturbations or to rapidly return to the state before exposure to perturbations. The main obstacle in research on genetics of resilience is how to define and quantify resilience. Big data offers great opportunities because longitudinal profiles of animals, such as feed intake, body weight, milk yield or egg production, contain information about how animals respond to perturbations. The objectives of our research were to define resilience indicators and estimate heritable variation in resilience indicators and to estimate associations with existing health and longevity traits to assess the utility of resilience indicators to improve resilience by breeding. The resilience indicators studied were log-transformed variance of deviations (LnVar), lag-1 autocorrelation (Auto) of deviations and skewness of deviations (Skew) based on daily milk yield in dairy cattle and four-weekly body weight measures in laying hens. In dairy cattle, we estimated a heritability of 0.20–0.24 for LnVar, a heritability of 0.08–0.10 for Auto, and a heritability of 0.01 for Skew. The strongest genetic correlations between a resilience indicator and existing health and longevity traits were found for LnVar with udder health (-0.22 to -0.33), ketosis (-0.27 to -0.33) and longevity (-0.29 to -0.34). In laying hens, we estimated similar heritabilities for the three resilience indicators: 0.10 for LnVar, 0.11 for Auto, and 0.09 for Skew. We found predictive value of LnVar breeding values for lesion scores after challenge with an E-coli infection. These results show that especially the variance of deviations is a promising resilience indicator to improve resilience and health in animals by genetic selection.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2271
Author(s):  
Francesco Tiezzi ◽  
Antonio Marco Maisano ◽  
Stefania Chessa ◽  
Mario Luini ◽  
Stefano Biffani

In spite of the impressive advancements observed on both management and genetic factors, udder health still represents one of most demanding objectives to be attained in the dairy cattle industry. Udder morphology and especially teat condition might represent the first physical barrier to pathogens’ access. The objectives of this study were to investigate the genetic component of teat condition and to elucidate its relationship with both milk yield and somatic cell scores in dairy cattle. Moreover, the effect of selection for both milk yield and somatic cell scores on teat condition was also investigated. A multivariate analysis was conducted on 10,776 teat score records and 30,160 production records from 2469 Italian Holstein cows. Three teat scoring traits were defined and included in the analysis. Heritability estimates for the teat score traits were moderate to low, ranging from 0.084 to 0.238. When teat score was based on a four-classes ordinal scoring, its genetic correlation with milk yields and somatic cell score were 0.862 and 0.439, respectively. The scale used to classify teat-end score has an impact on the magnitude of the estimates. Genetic correlations suggest that selection for milk yield could deteriorate teat health, unless more emphasis is given to somatic cell scores. Considering that both at national and international level, the current selection objectives are giving more emphasis to health traits, a further genetic deterioration in teat condition is not expected.


1999 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 153-158
Author(s):  
R. Wassmuth ◽  
D. Boelling ◽  
J. Jensen

AbstractDisease incidence in dairy cattle is to be reduced for animal welfare and economical reasons. This should be achieved not only by improvement of management but preferably also by genetic means. This study looks at the possibility of decreasing disease incidence in first lactation cows by increasing food intake. The latter is not measured on the cows directly but on young bulls during their performance test. Data consisted of 2203 Danish Red, 4527 Danish Black and White and 1022 Danish Jersey potential AI-bulls and 56 494 Danish Red, 264107 Danish Black and White and 57 661 Danish Jersey first lactation cows. Measures of food intake were provided by two Danish performance test stations. Information on incidence of mastitis, retained placenta, metritis, sole ulcer and ketosis as well as calving interval and energy corrected milk yield of first lactation cows was based on data extracted from the national data base in Denmark. Genetic (co)variances were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood. Heritability estimates of disease incidence and calving interval were low, ranging from <0.01 to 0.13 depending on breed. Heritability estimates of energy corrected milk yield were in the range of 0.28 to 0.33. In all breeds, an unfavourable genetic relationship between milk yield and disease incidence was found, while genetic correlations between food intake and ketosis were favourable, ranging between -0.03 and -0.25. Fertility disorders had an inconsistent correlation with food intake traits across breeds. Food intake of bulls could be included in the selection process in order to avoid nutrition-related disorders like ketosis.


1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. BATRA ◽  
A. J. LEE ◽  
A. J. McALLISTER

The relationships between reproduction traits, body weight and milk yield were investigated using data from 1611 heifers and 733 cows from two lines of the National Cooperative Dairy Cattle Breeding Project. The data were analyzed separately for heifers and cows within lines using a mixed linear model containing fixed effects for station, year of birth, season of birth and random effect of sires. Heritability estimates and genetic correlations were estimated by a paternal half-sib analysis. Heritability estimates for heifer and cow reproduction traits ranged between 0 and 26% while those of body weights at calving and 112 d postpartum and milk yield ranged from 24 to 43%. Heifers with difficult calving had a higher incidence of retained placenta than those with normal calving. Phenotypic correlations between heifer reproduction traits and milk yield during first lactation were small. High milk production in cows was associated with longer calving interval. Phenotypic correlations between heifer's and cow's reproduction traits were small. Difficult calving in heifers impairs reproductive performance after calving resulting in greater number of days from calving to first and last breeding and leading to a longer calving interval. Key words: Reproduction traits, heifers, cows, milk yield, dairy cattle


1991 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 4358-4365 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Simianer ◽  
H. Solbu ◽  
L.R. Schaeffer

2003 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Didier Boichard ◽  
Cécile Grohs ◽  
Florence Bourgeois ◽  
Frédérique Cerqueira ◽  
Rémi Faugeras ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Visscher ◽  
M. E. Goddard

AbstractDirect genetic evaluation of profit was investigated as an alternative to a selection index. PROFk was defined as (net income)/(food requirement) until the start of the kth lactation, for k = 2 to 6. Genetic parameters such as heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated for profit traits for Australian Holstein-Friesian and jersey dairy cattle. Heritabilities for profit until the start of a given lactation were moderate, ranging from 0·12 (for profit until the start of the second lactation in Holsteins) to 0·31 (profit until the start of the third lactation in Jerseys). Genetic correlations between profit traits were very high, and approached unity for most pairs of traits, so that profit early and late in herd life were nearly the same trait. Genetic correlations between profit traits and stayabilities until a given lactation were high, ranging from 0·71 to 0·97. Genetic correlations between profit traits and first lactation milk yield traits were approximately 0·80 for Holsteins and 0·90 for Jerseys. A single analysis urns carried out for lifetime profit using all data, including cows that were still in the herd at the time of data collection. Heritabilities were 0·13 for Holsteins and 0·19 for Jerseys. Genetic correlations between lifetime profit and first lactation yields were high. For the selection of dairy bulls, a multivariate analysis on a milk yield trait (e.g. protein yield) and profit until the last known lactation of bulls' progeny was suggested.


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