Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates between production, feed intake, feed efficiency, body weight and linear type traits in first lactation Holsteins

Abstract

L. 1999. Genetic and phenotypic parameter estimates between production, feed intake, feed efficiency, body weight and linear type traits in first lactation Holsteins. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 79: 425-431. Production and feed intake data on 36 115 first lactation Holstein cows obtained from Quebec Dairy Herd Analysis Service were combined with conformation data from the Holstein Association of Canada to estimate genetic correlations among production, energy intake, and conformation traits. Traits considered were 305-d milk yield, 305-d grain energy and total energy intake, feed efficiency (fat corrected milk yield/total energy intake), body weight at calving, capacity, size, stature, rump width and final score. Genetic and phenotypic parameters were estimated using Restricted Maximum Likelihood based on two-trait animal mixed model analyses. The model contained fixed effects of herd-year, season of calving, age of calving, sire group and a random animal genetic effect. Estimates of heritability were within the published range for all traits. Of the conformation traits examined, capacity, size and stature had the highest correlations with body weight, with phenotypic correlations between 0.36 and 0.43, and genetic correlations between 0.61 and 0.79. Feed efficiency was negatively correlated to all body size measures, both phenotypically (-0.01 to -0.29) and genetically (-0.31 to -0.53), but most significantly with body weight, capacity, size, and stature. Fat-corrected milk yield showed negligible phenotypic and low to moderately negative genetic (-0.07 to -0.29) correlations with body weight and related type traits. Total energy intake was positively related to all measures of body size, most notably body weight, while grain energy intake had moderately negative genetic correlations (-0.20 to -0.40) with the same body size traits. Because of their detrimental relationships with feed efficiency, negative selection emphasis should be placed on body weight and the related type traits capacity, size and stature. Capacity, size and stature are of moderate utility when selecting indirectly for body weight, total energy intake and feed efficiency.Key words: Dairy cattle, genetics, production, conformation, feed efficiency Parke, P., Jr., Kennedy, B. W., Dekkers, J. C. M., Moore, R. K. et Jairath, L. 1999. Calculs des rapports génétiques et phéno-typiques entre la production, l'ingéré alimentaire, l'indice de consommation, le poids corporel et les caractères de conformation chez des vaches Holstein primipares. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 79: 425-431. Nous avons combiné à des données sur la conformation fournies par l'Association Holstein du Canada les relevés de production et de consommation fourragère obtenus du PATLQ sur 36 115 vaches Holstein primipares. L'objet était de calculer les corrélations génétiques entre les caractères de production d'ingestion alimentaire et de conformation. Les paramètres considérés étaient le rendement laitier, l'ingéré énergétique total et l'ingéré d'énergie céréalière à 305 j, l'indice de conversion (...

Genetic and phenotypic associations of type traits and body condition score with dry matter intake, milk yield, and number of breedings in first lactation Canadian Holstein cows

“…Veerkamp and Brotherstone (1997) observed a genetic correlation of 0.34 between DMI and body depth which is in agreement with the estimate from the current study and slightly lower than the more recent estimates (0.44 and 0.49) by Manafiazar et al (2016) and ManzanillaPech et al (2016), respectively. The genetic correlation between DMI and stature (0.34) observed in the present study was higher than reported by others (Veerkamp and Brotherstone 1997;Parke et al 1999) but comparable to the estimates reported by Manafiazar et al (2016) and Manzanilla-Pech et al (2016). Vallimont et al (2010) also observed positive genetic correlations between stature and intake traits (0.55-0.63).…”

“…Angularity, body depth, and stature have been recorded as linear descriptive code from 1 to 9 with increments of 1. These type traits were selected for the present study considering their relationships with feed intake and energy efficiency traits reported in the literature (Veerkamp and Brotherstone 1997;Parke et al 1999;Berry et al 2004). The type and feed data were merged to retain cows with both feed and type information.…”

“…Veerkamp and Brotherstone (1997) observed that chest width and body depth had moderate positive genetic correlations (0.20-0.34) with dry matter intake (DMI) from complete mixed diets for the first 26 weeks of lactation in UK Holstein dairy cows. In another study, Parke et al (1999) observed low to moderate genetic correlations (0.18-0.29) between total energy intake and capacity, size, and stature in Canadian Holsteins. In a recent study on 970 cows from 11 commercial herds, Vallimont et al (2010) observed moderate to high genetic correlations between feed intake and stature (0.55-0.63) in US Holsteins although their reported estimates were associated with large standard errors.…”

“…Previous studies have reported phenotypic (Gravert 1985;Sieber et al 1988) and genetic (Veerkamp and Brotherstone 1997;Parke et al 1999;Vallimont et al 2010) correlations between feed intake and type traits. Gravert (1985) was the first to propose the usefulness of chest circumference as a predictor of feed intake.…”

Implementation of Feed Efficiency in Iranian Holstein Breeding Program

“…The direct selection for feed intake is not commonly used around the world because collecting feed intake data in most commercial herds is costly [ 74 ]. In several studies, phenotypic [ 75 , 76 ] and genetic [ 36 , 47 , 77 , 78 ] correlations between feed intake and type traits have been reported. An alternative to direct selection on feed intake data is to use indirect traits such as type traits to select for feed efficiency in dairy cows.…”