scholarly journals Selection Response Due to Different Combination of Antagonistic Milk, Beef, and Morphological Traits in the Alpine Grey Cattle Breed

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1340
Author(s):  
Enrico Mancin ◽  
Cristina Sartori ◽  
Nadia Guzzo ◽  
Beniamino Tuliozi ◽  
Roberto Mantovani

Selection in local dual-purpose breeds requires great carefulness because of the need to preserve peculiar traits and also guarantee the positive genetic progress for milk and beef production to maintain economic competitiveness. A specific breeding plan accounting for milk, beef, and functional traits is required by breeders of the Alpine Grey cattle (AG), a local dual-purpose breed of the Italian Alps. Hereditability and genetic correlations among all traits have been analyzed for this purpose. After that, different selection indexes were proposed to identify the most suitable for this breed. Firstly, a genetic parameters analysis was carried out with different datasets. The milk dataset contained 406,918 test day records of milk, protein, and fat yields and somatic cells (expressed as SCS). The beef dataset included performance test data conducted on 749 young bulls. Average daily gain, in vivo estimated carcass yields, and carcass conformation (SEUROP) were the phenotypes obtained from the performance tests. The morphological dataset included 21 linear type evaluations of 11,320 first party cows. Linear type traits were aggregated through factor analysis and three factors were retained, while head typicality (HT) and rear muscularity (RM) were analyzed as single traits. Heritability estimates (h2) for milk traits ranged from 0.125 to 0.219. Analysis of beef traits showed h2 greater than milk traits, ranging from 0.282 to 0.501. Type traits showed a medium value of h2 ranging from 0.238 to 0.374. Regarding genetic correlation, SCS and milk traits were strongly positively correlated. Milk traits had a negative genetic correlation with the factor accounting for udder conformations (−0.40) and with all performance test traits and RM. These latter traits showed also a negative genetic correlation with udder volume (−0.28). The HT and the factor accounting for rear legs traits were not correlated with milk traits, but negatively correlated with beef traits (−0.32 with RM). We argue that the consequence of these results is that the use of the current selection index, which is mainly focused on milk attitude, will lead to a deterioration of all other traits. In this study, we propose more appropriate selection indexes that account for genetic relationships among traits, including functional traits.

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zavadilová ◽  
E. Němcová ◽  
M. Štípková ◽  
J. Bouška

The relationships between conformation and longevity traits were analysed in 58 493 Czech Fleckvieh cows first calved from 1994 to 2003. All cows were scored for conformation during the first lactation. Genetic correlations between longevity and conformation traits were estimated by bivariate runs using the VCE 4.0 program for variance component estimation. The values of heritability for conformation traits were in the range from 0.06 to 0.63 and for longevity traits from 0.04 to 0.05. Low or intermediate genetic relationships between recorded linear traits and longevity trait were found. The correlations were lower for functional longevity. Body measurements showed negative genetic correlations with real as well as functional longevity (–0.12 to –0.29). The dairy character negatively correlated with longevity traits (–0.18 to –0.26). The muscularity and udder showed a zero correlation with functional longevity, while the feet and legs were not correlated with real longevity. The highest positive genetic correlations between real longevity and objectively scored linear type traits were found for hock (0.24), rear udder attachment (0.28), fore udder length (0.16) and central ligament (0.11). On the contrary, the correlation between the udder depth and the milk-corrected longevity was positive (0.28) and higher than in the case of real longevity.


1997 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Veerkamp ◽  
S. Brotherstone

AbstractVariance components were estimated from an animal model using a restricted maximum likelihood procedure which allowed for unequal design matrices and missing observations (VCE). Data sets containing: (i) 15 275 records of linear type classifications on heifers, (ii) 3399 live weight and condition scores measured at calving and (iii) 1157 records of yield, dry-matter intake, average live weight and condition score during the first 26 weeks of lactation; were analysed jointly.Heritability estimates for dry-matter intake, live weight and condition score in the largest data set were 0·44, 0·44 and 0·35 respectively and the genetic correlation between condition score and the yield traits ranged from −0·29 to −0·46. The genetic correlation between milk yield and average live weight was negative (−0·09) but after adjusting for the genetic variation in condition score this correlation was positive (0·29). Genetic correlations between live weight and stature, chest width, body depth and rump width were consistently high (0·52 to 0·64; 0·75 to 0·86; 0·59 to 0·81; 0·56 to 0·74, respectively). Chest width and body depth were little to moderately correlated with dry-matter intake (0·25 to 0·28 and 0·20 to 0·34 respectively), and angularity (−0·47 to −0·77) and chest width (0·32 to 0·73) appeared to be good predictors of condition score. These correlations showed that (i) the relative value of live weight compared with food intake capacity determines the optimum direction of selection for stature, chest width, body depth and angularity, and consequently the optimum size of the dairy cow, and that (ii) live weight, condition score and food intake can be predicted from the type traits with little loss in accuracy. A restricted index which maintains condition score at its current level was predicted to reduce overall (economic) genetic gain by 5%.


2013 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mazza ◽  
N. Guzzo ◽  
C. Sartori ◽  
D.P. Berry ◽  
R. Mantovani

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
Evelin Török ◽  
István Komlósi ◽  
Béla Béri ◽  
Imre Füller ◽  
Barnabás Vágó ◽  
...  

The aim of the current research was to analyze the linear type traits of Hungarian Simmental dual-purpose cows scored in the first lactation using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Data collected by the Association of Hungarian Simmental Breeders were studied during the work. The filtered database contained the results of 8 868 cows, born after 1997. From the evaluation of main conformation traits, the highest correlations (r = 0.35, P < 0.05) were found between mammary system and feet and legs traits. Within linear type traits, the highest correlation was observed between rump length and rump width (r = 0.81, P < 0.05). Using the principal component analysis, main conformation traits were combined into groups. There were three factors having 84.5 as total variance ratio after varimax rotation. Cluster analysis verified the results of the principal component analysis as most of the trait groups were similar. The strongest relationship was observed between feet and legs and mammary system (main conformation traits) and between rump length and rump width (linear type traits).


2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 545-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Pantelić ◽  
L. Samolovac ◽  
S. Aleksić ◽  
S. Trivunović ◽  
M. M. Petrović ◽  
...  

Abstract. Group of secondary traits such as health, longevity, type and milkability represents some of very important factors for successful milk production. These traits have been given great importance in recent years. In order to realize productive life of dairy cows as long and successful as possible, special attention should be directed to traits of type and body constitution. Objective of the research was to establish heritability coefficients for 14 type traits of first calving Black and White cows, effect of genetic and paragenetic factors (bull sires, farm, year and season of calving, age at scoring and share of Holstein-Friesian [HF] genes) on type traits, so that these scores could be included in calculation of breeding value of the animal. Also, average values of milk traits have been established: milk yield and yield of 4 % fat corrected milk (FCM), content and quantity of milk fat. Evaluation was performed on a sample of 2 976 first calving Black and White cows. Evaluated cows were reared on 7 farms of the Agricultural Corporation Belgrade in Serbia. Analysis of discontinuous and continuous influences was done using the method of least squares. Investigation indicated that the value of linear type evaluation should be included in the total evaluation of the breeding value and in this way complete insight into genetic supremacy, especially of breeding bulls, would be obtained. Use of bull semen of proven supremacy in transmission of genes desirable from the aspect of body constitution, in the process of artificial insemination, would lead faster to production herds with animals which are uniform in type, of good conformation and longevity, which is of special significance in conditions of intensive rearing of dairy cattle.


1983 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 547-553
Author(s):  
Veijo Vilva ◽  
U. B. Lindström

A three-stage selection programme of dual purpose bulls was studied in order to assess the significance of the selection stages and the genetic gain to be expected. In accordance with previous studies the results showed that over 90 % of the economic gain comes from the milk traits. In addition the study showed that over 10 % of the gain is due to the increased feed conversion efficiency, mainly in milk production. The beef performance test of young bulls accounted for only 1—2 % of the total economic gain. Therefore the test stations setup for this purpose might be more efficiently utilised by concentrating on measurement of feed conversion. The study also indicated that direct selection for feed efficiency in milk production would give appreciably higher gain even if it were done on the basis of only 5 daughters/ bull. In practice this might be accomplished by measuring the feed consumption of a limited number of daughters per young bull, 4-5 months after calving for about one month or by collecting 200—300 individual mid-lactational feed consumption records for daughters of young bulls.


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.


animal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mazza ◽  
N. Guzzo ◽  
C. Sartori ◽  
R. Mantovani

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