Development of a National Genetic Evaluation for Cow Fertility

VanRaden, P.M.; Sanders, A.H.; Tooker, M.E.; Miller, R.H.; Norman, H.D.; Kuhn, M.T.; Wiggans, G.R.

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(04)70049-1

Cited by 243 publications

(224 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

186

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, the lack of genetic correlations between nulliparous and multiparous traits suggests that current breeding programmes that include multiparous reproductive performance are not indirectly improving reproductive performance in nulliparous heifers. Calving interval, or similar traits like days open or calculated daughter pregnancy rate (VanRaden et al, 2004), are commonly used measures of reproductive performance in dairy cow breeding goals. Such traits may not be optimal for seasonal calving (and therefore breeding) herds.…”

Section: Additive Genetic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Additive genetic, non-additive genetic and permanent environmental effects for female reproductive performance in seasonal calving dairy females

Kelleher¹,

Buckley²,

Evans³

et al. 2016

Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Excellent reproductive performance (i.e. 365-day calving interval) is paramount to herd profit in seasonal-calving dairy systems. Reproductive targets are currently not being achieved in Irish dairy herds. Furthermore, most research on the genetics of reproductive performance in dairy cattle has focused primarily on lactating cows and relatively few studies have attempted to quantify the genetic contribution to differences in reproductive performance in nulliparae. The objective of the present study was to estimate the contribution of both the additive and non-additive genetic components, as well as the permanent environmental component, to phenotypic variation in the reproductive traits in nulliparous, primiparous and multiparous seasonal-calving dairy females. Reproductive phenotypes were available on up to 202,525 dairy females. Variance components were estimated using (repeatability where appropriate) linear animal mixed models; fixed effects included in the mixed models were contemporary group, parity (where appropriate), breed proportion, inter-breed specific heterosis coefficients and inter-breed specific recombination loss coefficients. Heritability of the reproductive traits ranged from 0.004 (pregnancy rate to first service) to 0.17 (age at first service in nulliparae), while repeatability estimates for the reproductive traits in cows ranged from 0.01 (calving interval) to 0.11 (pregnant in the first 42 days of the breeding season). Breed-specific heterosis regression coefficients suggest that, relative to the parental mean, a first-cross Holstein–Jersey crossbred was almost 7 days younger at first calving, had a 9-day shorter calving interval, a 6 percentage unit greater pregnancy rate in the first 42 days of the breeding season and a 3 percentage unit greater survival rate to next lactation. Heifer calving rate traits were strongly genetically correlated with age at first calving (–0.97 to –0.66) and calving rate in the first 42 days of the calving season for first parity cows (0.77 to 0.56), but genetic correlations with other cow reproductive traits were weak and inconsistent. Calving interval was strongly genetically correlated with the majority of the cow traits; 56%, 40%, and 92% of the genetic variation in calving interval was explained by calving to the first service interval, number of services and pregnant in the first 42 days of the breeding season, respectively. Permanent environmental correlations between the reproductive performance traits were generally moderate to strong. The existence of contributions from non-additive genetic and permanent environmental effects to phenotypic differences among cows suggests the usefulness of such information to rank cows on future expected performance; this was evidenced by a stronger correlation with future reproductive performance for an individual cow index that combined additive genetic, non-additive genetic and permanent environmental effects compared to an index based solely on additive genetic effects (i.e. estimated breeding values).

show abstract

Section: Additive Genetic Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Additive genetic, non-additive genetic and permanent environmental effects for female reproductive performance in seasonal calving dairy females

Kelleher¹,

Buckley²,

Evans³

et al. 2016

Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…From an economic standpoint, high culling rates in pure Holstein cows are of great concern to dairy producers (Weigel et al, 2003). The genetic correlation of cow fertility with milk yield for US Holsteins is 0.35 (VanRaden et al, 2004). Days open has increased phenotypically about 40 days from 1960 to 2000 (Kuhn et al, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crossbreeding: implications for dairy cow fertility and survival

Buckley

López‐Villalobos

Heins

2014

Animal

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In pasture-based seasonal calving systems, failure to become pregnant during the breeding season results in important economic losses as maximum profit is attained by minimising costs and increasing the proportion of grass in the diet of the lactating dairy cow. In the United States, dairy producers primarily strive to maximise production potential but are becoming increasingly aware of the economic consequences of sub-optimal cow fertility and survival. For this reason, interest in crossbreeding is emerging. The objective of this paper is to review the fertility and survival outcomes reported from recent research studies and data analyses in Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. Research conducted in Ireland during the early 2000s concluded that of three 'alternative' dairy breeds the Norwegian Red was most suited to seasonal grass-based production. A key finding was favourable fertility and survival. A follow-up study confirmed a fertility advantage with Norwegian Red × Holstein-Friesian compared with Holstein-Friesian: proportion pregnant to first service; +0.08 and in-calf after 6 weeks breeding; +0.11. Another study found higher fertility with Jersey crossbreds: pregnant to first service; +0.21, and in-calf after 6 weeks breeding; +0.19. Studies conducted in Northern Ireland also found superior fertility performance with Jersey crossbred cows offered low and moderate concentrate diets. In New Zealand, crossbred dairy cattle (primarily Jersey × Friesian) are achieving similar rates of genetic gain for farm profit as the purebred populations, but creating additional gain derived from economic heterosis. In the United States, analysis of commercial data from California showed higher first-service conception rates for Scandinavian Red × Holstein (+6 percentage units) and Montbeliarde × Holstein (+10 percentage units) compared with Holstein (23%). They also exhibited fewer days open and greater survival. At Penn State University, Brown Swiss × Holstein cows had 17 fewer days open than Holstein cows during first lactation, and numerically fewer in second (12 days) and third lactation (6 days). At the University of Minnesota, crossbred cows had 21 percentage units higher first-service conception rates, 41 fewer days open and 12 percentage units higher in-calf rates compared with pure Holstein cows. They also had greater survival to second (+13 percentage units), third (+24 percentage units), fourth (+25 percentage units) and fifth (+17 percentage units) lactation. The literature clearly illustrates favourable animal performance benefits from crossbreeding, using a range of modern breeds, and within the context of both grass-based and high-input confinement production environments. Economic analyses generally indicate profitable performance owing to lower replacement cost and higher herd productivity.

show abstract

“…Decreased fertility is a very topical problem and has been documented over the last few years by several authors (Lucy, 2001). For instance, VanRaden et al (2004) indicated that the number of days between calving and conception (or days open) increased from 110 to 140 between 1965 and 2000 in the United States. The decline in fertility is probably due to a combination of physiological and management factors that have an additive effect on reproductive efficiency (Lucy, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic relationships between body condition score and reproduction traits in Canadian Holstein and Ayrshire first-parity cows

Bastin

Loker

Gengler

et al. 2010

Journal of Dairy Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The objective of this study was to investigate the genetic relationship between body condition score (BCS) and reproduction traits for first-parity Canadian Ayrshire and Holstein cows. Body condition scores were collected by field staff several times over the lactation in herds from Québec, and reproduction records (including both fertility and calving traits) were extracted from the official database used for the Canadian genetic evaluation of those herds. For each breed, six 2-trait animal models were run; they included random regressions that allowed the estimation of genetic correlations between BCS over the lactation and reproduction traits that are measured as a single lactation record. Analyses were undertaken on data from 108 Ayrshire herds and 342 Holstein herds. Average daily heritabilities of BCS were close to 0.13 for both breeds; these relatively low estimates might be explained by the high variability among herds and BCS evaluators. Genetic correlations between BCS and interval fertility traits (days from calving to first service, days from first service to conception, and days open) were negative and ranged between −0.77 and −0.58 for Ayrshire and between −0.31 and −0.03 for Holstein. Genetic correlations between BCS and 56-d nonreturn rate at first insemination were positive and moderate. The trends of these genetic correlations over the lactation suggest that a genetically low BCS in early lactation would increase the number of days that the primiparous cow was not pregnant and would decrease the chances of the primiparous cow to conceive at first service. Genetic correlations between BCS and calving traits were generally the strongest at calving and decreased with increasing days in milk. The correlation between BCS at calving and maternal calving ease was 0.21 for Holstein and 0.31 for Ayrshire and emphasized the relationship between fat cows around calving and dystocia. Genetic correlations between calving traits and BCS during the subsequent lactation were moderate and favorable, indicating that primiparous cows with a genetically high BCS over the lactation would have a greater chance of producing a calf that survived (maternal calf survival) and would transmit the genes that allowed the calf to be born more easily (maternal calving ease) and to survive (direct calving ease).

show abstract

Development of a National Genetic Evaluation for Cow Fertility

Cited by 243 publications

References 9 publications

Additive genetic, non-additive genetic and permanent environmental effects for female reproductive performance in seasonal calving dairy females

Additive genetic, non-additive genetic and permanent environmental effects for female reproductive performance in seasonal calving dairy females

Crossbreeding: implications for dairy cow fertility and survival

Genetic relationships between body condition score and reproduction traits in Canadian Holstein and Ayrshire first-parity cows

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About