U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Cole, Johnitem
                                            Wiggans, Georgeitem
                                            Vanraden, Paul
  Submitted to: World Congress of Genetics Applied in Livestock Production
                                    Publication Type: Proceedings
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2006
                                    Publication  Date: 8/13/2006
                                    Citation: Cole, J.B., Wiggans, G.R., Van Raden, P.M. 2006. Genetic evaluation of stillbirth in United States Holsteins using a sire-maternal grandsire threshold model. 8th  World Congress of Genetics Applied in Livestock Production. Communication 01-28.Interpretive Summary: A sire-maternal grandsire (MGS) threshold model was used for genetic evaluation of stillbirth in US Holsteins. Data consisted of almost 7.5 million records, and over 41,000 AI bulls received evaluations. The model included effects of herd-year, year-season, parity-sex, sire, birth year group of sire, MGS, and birth year group of MGS, and dystocia score. Herd-year, sire, and MGS were random effects. Mean PTA, expressed as expected percentage of stillbirths in heifers, were 12.47 and 14.28 for direct and maternal stillbirth, respectively. Reliabilities for the direct and maternal effects averaged 0.53 and 0.52, respectively. Dystocia scores had a larger effect on stillbirth than year-season, sire, or MGS effects. Correlations among US and Interbull stillbirth solutions on the underlying scale for bulls with at least 90% reliability ranged from 0.63 to 0.90 across countries for direct SB and 0.69 to 0.96 for maternal SB, indicating that results were generally consistent with those from other countries. There was no evidence of a consistent genetic trend. More complete recording of stillbirth scores would improve reliabilities and possibly allow for evaluations of other breeds.
                                Technical Abstract: A sire-maternal grandsire (MGS) threshold model was used for genetic evaluation of stillbirth in US Holsteins. Data consisted of almost 7.5 million records, and over 41,000 AI bulls received evaluations. The model included effects of herd-year, year-season, parity-sex, sire, birth year group of sire, MGS, and birth year group of MGS, and dystocia score. Herd-year, sire, and MGS were random effects. Mean PTA, expressed as expected percentage of stillbirths in heifers, were 12.47 and 14.28 for direct and maternal stillbirth, respectively. Reliabilities for the direct and maternal effects averaged 0.53 and 0.52, respectively. Dystocia scores had a larger effect on stillbirth than year-season, sire, or MGS effects. Correlations among US and Interbull stillbirth solutions on the underlying scale for bulls with at least 90% reliability ranged from 0.63 to 0.90 across countries for direct SB and 0.69 to 0.96 for maternal SB, indicating that results were generally consistent with those from other countries. There was no evidence of a consistent genetic trend. More complete recording of stillbirth scores would improve reliabilities and possibly allow for evaluations of other breeds.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov