# Presentation: 398071

##  Genetic Evaluations for Fitness and Fertility in the US and Other Nations

## Which Traits?

**“****A key priority in research and education should be to identify those traits that really affect cost of producing milk and concentrate selection on them” ****(****McDaniel, 1976 National Workshop)**
**Still good advice today**

## Genetic progress

**	********G =****	****accuracy ******
**	****	****genetic SD ******
**	****	****selection intensity ******
**	****	****generation interval**
***(Dickerson & Hazel, 1944)***

## Heritability of N Records= N h**2 / [1 + (N – 1) Repeatability](Lush, 1948)

| Trait | Repeat-
ability | Lactations |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Protein | .55 | 	.30 | .	39 | .	43 | .	45 | .	47 |
| SCS | .35 | .	10 | .	15 | .	18 | .	20 | .	21 |
| DPR | .13 | .04 | .07 | 	.10 | .	12 | .	13 |
| PL |  |  | .04 | .07 | .08 | .085 |

## Average accuracy= square root of reliability / 100

|  | Cows born 1995 | Bulls born 1994-98 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Protein (kg) | .71 | .92 |
| SCS | .60 | .77 |
| PL | .58 | .78 |
| DPR | .57 | .75 |
| Service sire CE | .55 | .85 |
| Daughter CE | .54 | .77 |
| Feet & Legs | .62 | .84 |

## Coefficients of variation (CV)

| Trait | Mean | Pheno-
typic SD | CV (%) |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  | Pheno typic | Gen-etic |
| Protein (lb) | 692	 | 91 | 13 | 	7 |
| Stature (in) | 	57 | 1.6 |   3 |   2 |
| PL (mo) | 	24 | 13 | 54 | 	16 |
| DPR (%) | 	23 | 15 | 65 | 	13 |

**DPR**** = daughter pregnancy rate, ****PL**** = productive life, **

## Trait HarmonizationMark, 2003 EAAP meeting

|            Trait |   Countries | Average corr. | Avg. cor w / USA |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Protein | 27 | .87 | .89 |
| Stature | 21 | .89 | .90 |
| Fore Udd. | 21 | .75 | .79 |
| SCS | 20 | .85 | .86 |
| Longevity | 14 | .59 | .74 |
| SCE | 10 | .83 | .86 |
| DCE | 10 | .58 | .64 |

## MACE Longevity CorrelationsJakobsen, 2003 Interbull meeting

|  | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | GBR |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| USA |  | .83 | .61 | .55 | .80 | .93 | .83 |
| DEU |  |  | .65 | .44 | .83 | .81 | .74 |
| FRA |  |  |  | .40 | .68 | .62 | .51 |
| NZL |  |  |  |  | .43 | .52 | .58 |
| NLD |  |  |  |  |  | .80 | .70 |
| CAN |  |  |  |  |  |  | .89 |
| Avg (14) | .74 | .69 | .62 | .49 | .68 | .73 | .67 |

## MACE for Calving EaseJakobsen, 2003 Interbull meeting

| Avg. cor (10 x 10) | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | DNK |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service sire CE  | .86 | .87 | .85 | .69 | .81 | .75 | .90 |
| Daugh-ter CE | .64 | .54 | .68 | ... | .68 | .78 | .59 |
| USA cor  |  | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | DNK |
| SCE |  | .70 | .82 | .72 | .86 | .82 | .94 |
| DCE |  | .61 | .92 | ... | .93 | .88 | .76 |

## Pregnancy Rate

**Rate that cows become pregnant**
**Can be derived from days open**
**Non-linear: ****21 / (DO – VWP + 11)**
**Linear approx: ****(233 – DO) / 4**
**Advantages over days open**
**Positive numbers are desirable**
**Earlier measure of herd fertility**

## Pregnancy Rate vs Days Open

**Pregnancy Rate vs Days Open**

**0**

**10**

**20**

**30**

**40**

**50**

**60**

**70**

**80**

**90**

**100**

**60**

**81**

**102**

**123**

**144**

**165**

**186**

**207**

**228**

**249**

**Number of Chances**

**Pregnancy Rate**

**9**

**8**

**7**

**6**

**5**

**4**

**3**

**2**

**1**

**Days Open**

## Cow Fertility Traits Evaluated in Largest Holstein Populations

|     Country
Trait | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | GBR | AUS |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ability to cycle |  |  |  | Yes | Yes |  | Yes |  |
| Ability to conceive  |  | Yes | Yes |  | Yes |  | Yes |  |
| Combined trait | Yes |  |  | Yes | Yes |  | Yes | Yes |
| Emphasis | 7% | 2% | 13% | 10% | 7% |  |  | 8% |

## Prediction of UK Calving IntervalWall et al, 2003 Interbull meeting

| Country, trait | Bulls | Min Rel | UK Rel | PTA Corr. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| USA preg rate | 108 | 70 | 65 | .76 |
| AUS preg rate | 65 | 70 | 50 | .73 |
| NLD fert. index | 46 | 60 | 60 | .71 |
| IRL calv. int. | 68 | 65 | 70 | .69 |
| DNK fert. index | 103 | 70 | 60 | .51 |
| NZL fert. index | 42 | 60 | 50 | .51 |

## International Fertility Correlations

**UK, DEU, FRA, NLD ****(Wall, 2003)**** **
**Non-return, PTA correlation avg = ****.54**
**DNK, FIN, SWE**** ****(Mark, 2001)**** **
**Days to 1****st**** AI, genetic cor avg = ****.67**
**Non-return rate, genetic cor avg = ****.44**** **
**Ayr**** from ****NOR, DNK, FIN, SWE**** ****(Svendsen, 2001)**** **
**Fertility index, genetic cor avg = ****.73**

## Value of Cow Fertility

**Optimum days open**
**Pregnancy rate affects mean and variance**
**Reduced yield/day vs longer lactations**
**Fertility expenses per day open**
**Heat detection ($20 / lact ******** .005)****	****	****= ****$.10**
**Semen ($15 / unit + $5 labor) *.025****	****= ****$.50**
**Pregnancy exam ($10 / exam)*.012****	****= ****$.12**
**Lactations too long or short****	****	****= ****$.75**
**Relative value of DPR = ****7%**** of total**

## Value of Calving Ease

**Daughter CE value / difficult birth**
**Veterinary, labor costs****	****	****	****= ****$50**
**Calf death (20% prob)****	****	****	****= ****$25**
**Cow deaths before 1****st**** test (1% prob)****	****= ****$15**
**Service sire CE also includes**
**Yield losses / lactation****	****	****	****= ****$40**
**Fertility and longevity losses****	****	****= ****$30**
**Relative values of each are ****2%**** of total**

## National Selection Indexes:Yield and Health Traits

|  | Country (Interbull Code) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | USA | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | GBR | AUS | ITA | DNK | SWE |
| % of Interbull Population |  | 
17.4 | 
15.3 | 
12.3 | 
10.6 | 
9.3 | 
4.7 | 
4.7 | 
4.5 | 
4.3 | 
4.1 | 
1.5 |
| Index Name | NM$ | New | RZG | ISU | BW | DPS | LPI | PLI | APR | PFT | S – I | TMI |
| Trait |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Protein | 36 | 33 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 35 | 43 | 57 | 36 | 42 | 21 | 21 |
| Fat | 21 | 22 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 |
| Milk |  5 | 0 |  |  | -17 | -14 |  | -19 | -20 |  | -3 | -4 |
| % Protein |  |  | 4 | 2 |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |
| % Fat |  |  | 1 | 2 |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |
| Longevity | 14 | 11 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| SCS / mastitis | 9 | 9 | 5 | 13 |  | 11 | 3 |  | 7 | 10 | 15 | 12 |
| Fertility |  | 7 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 7 |  |  |  |  | 9 | 10 |
| Other diseases |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 | 3 |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## National Selection Indexes:Conformation and Management Traits

|  | Country (Interbull Code) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | USA | USA | DEU | FRA | NZL | NLD | CAN | GBR | AUS | ITA | DNK | SWE |
| % of Interbull Population  |  | 17.4 | 15.3 | 12.3 | 10.6 | 9.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 1.5 |
| Index Name | NM$ | New | RZG | ISU | BW | DPS | LPI | PLI | APR | PFT | S – I | TMI |
| Trait |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Udder traits | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 |  |  | 17 |  |  | 13 | 9 | 12 |
| Feet / legs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |  | 3 | 11 |  |  | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| Size | -4 | -3 | 2 | 2 | -18 |  | 4 |  | -4 |  | 2 |  |
| Dairy character |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rump |  |  | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Final score |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 2 |  |
| Calving ease |  | 4 | 4 |  |  | 10 |  |  |  |  | 6 | 12 |
| Growth / meat |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 6 |
| Milking Speed |  |  |  |  |  |  |    <1 |  | 4 |  | 6 |  |
| Temperament |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  | 2 | 3 |

## Response to NM$ Selection

| 
Trait | NM$ 2000 | NM$ 2003 | 
Trait | NM$ 2000 | NM$ 2003 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Protein | .81 | .74 | Udder | .19 | .22 |
| Fat | .68 | .67 | F & L | .17 | .16 |
| Milk | .68 | .58 | Size | -.10 | -.10 |
| PL | .51 | .58 | SCE | -.13 | -.23 |
| SCS | -.35 | -.38 | DCE | -.11 | -.21 |
| DPR | .00 | .15 |  |  |  |

## Changes for November 2003

**Earlier evaluation of DPR**
**Records in progress used at ****130**** instead of ****250**** DIM**
**6%**** gain in REL of DPR for new bulls**
**Developed by Melvin Kuhn**
**Use of DPR, SCE, DCE to predict PL**
**4%**** gain in REL of PL for recent bulls**

## Conclusions

**Most fitness traits are less heritable but more variable than yield and type**
**In August 2003 NM$, cow fertility receives 7% and calving ease traits each receive 2% of total selection**
**Reasonable progress is expected**
**National fitness trait evaluations need to reach foreign customers**