Genetic association between body energy measured throughout lactation and fertility in dairy cattle

Banos, Georgios; Coffey, M.P.

doi:10.1017/s1751731109991182

Cited by 52 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Body condition score is a subjective measure of the amount of stored fat on the body (Edmonson, et al, 1989;Broster and Broster, 1998), and hence, may be used to indicate energy balance. Banos and Coffey (2010) showed that indirect measures of body energy, such as BCS, have the strongest genetic association with cow fertility (compared with direct measures of body energy). If a genetic evaluation for BCS is to be developed, the trait must be heritable, and the genetic correlations among different parities for BCS should be known.…”

Section: Short Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short communication: Estimates of genetic parameters of body condition score in the first 3 lactations using a random regression animal model

Loker

Bastin

Miglior

et al. 2011

Journal of Dairy Science

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The objective of this research was to estimate the genetic parameters of body condition score (BCS) in the first 3 lactations in Canadian Holstein dairy cattle using a multiple-lactation random regression animal model. Field staff from Valacta milk recording agency (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada) collected BCS from Québec herds several times throughout each lactation. Approximately 32,000, 20,000, and 11,000 first-, second-, and third-parity BCS were analyzed, respectively, from a total of 75 herds. Body condition score was a moderately heritable trait over the lactation for parity 1, 2, and 3, with average daily heritabilities of 0.22, 0.26, and 0.30, respectively. Daily heritability ranged between 0.14 and 0.26, 0.19 and 0.28, and 0.24 and 0.33 for parity 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Genetic variance of BCS increased with days in milk within lactations. The low genetic variance in early lactation suggests that the evolution of the ability to mobilize tissue reserves in early lactation provided cattle with a major advantage, and is, therefore, somewhat conserved. The increasing genetic variance suggests that more genetic differences were related to how well cows recovered from the negative energy balance state. More specifically, increasing genetic variation as lactation progressed could be a reflection of genetic differences in the ability of cows to efficiently control the rate of mobilization of tissue reserves, which would not be crucial in early lactation. The shape of BCS curves was similar across parities. From first to third parity, differences included the progressively deeper nadir and faster rate of recovery of condition. Daily genetic correlations between parities were calculated from 5 to 305 DIM, and were summed and divided by 301 to obtain average daily genetic correlations. The average daily genetic correlations were 0.84 between parity 1 and 2, 0.83 between parity 1 and 3, and 0.86 between parity 2 and 3. Although not 1, these genetic correlations are still strong, so much of the variation observed in BCS was controlled by the same genes for each of the first 3 lactations. If a genetic evaluation for BCS is developed, regular collection of first-lactation BCS records should be sufficient for genetic evaluation.

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Section: Short Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short communication: Estimates of genetic parameters of body condition score in the first 3 lactations using a random regression animal model

Loker

Bastin

Miglior

et al. 2011

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…Regular evaluation of body reserves facilitates assessment of the cow nutrition regime and feed ration balance, which, in turn, enables to utilise the production potential of cows and obtain optimal milk yields. Body condition monitoring is also important in the prevention of metabolic disorders in the periparturient period and post parturition complications (3). Numerous researchers are of an opinion that the specification of recommended BCS profile of highproducing cows could limit the incidence of a negative energy balance, which is one of the most important causes of the deterioration of fertility indices (9,27).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between the pre- and postpartum body condition scores and periparturient indices and fertility in high-yielding dairy cows

Stefańska

Poźniak

Nowak

2016

Journal of Veterinary Research

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Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body condition score (BCS) determined on the dry-off day, calving day, and in the first month of lactation, its changes during the dry period and early lactation, and periparturient indices and fertility in high-producing dairy cows. Material and Methods: The experiment was conducted in two herds: A and B, located in Western Poland. The studies were conducted on 116 and 108 Polish Holstein-Friesian dairy cows respectively, with an average milk yield of >10 000 kg/305-day lactation. The experiment included the dry period (-56 d to the calving day), the calving day, and early lactation (from +1 to +56 d). The experimental factor was BCS (0 to 5-point scale). The BCS was performed by one person on day -56, on parturition day (in the first 12 h after calving) and on day 30 of lactation. The body condition on the dry-off day and at calving, as well as its deterioration in the first month of lactation, have a considerable effect on fertility indices in dairy cows, thus confirming the advisability of its regular monitoring during routine operations connected with the management of a dairy cattle herd.

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“…Direct measures of energy balance are primarily based on individual cow feed intake and milk output (Veerkamp et al, 2000;Hüttmann et al, 2009). However, measurement of individual feed intake is expensive (Veerkamp et al, 2000;Hüttmann et al, 2009) and unfeasible in a commercial population (Banos and Coffey, 2010). Body condition score is a subjective measure of the tissue reserves available on an animal (Edmonson et al, 1989), and is therefore an indicator of energy balance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because the body condition can be scored visually on freely moving cattle (Edmonson et al, 1989), it is easy, quick, and inexpensive to measure (Waltner et al, 1994). Last, BCS is moderately to strongly genetically correlated with health (Dechow et al, 2004;Neuenschwander, 2010) and reproduction status (Pryce et al, 2001;Banos and Coffey, 2010;Bastin et al, 2010a,b). In Canada, collection of BCS is part of a routine type classification system, so sufficient data would be available nationwide if a genetic evaluation for this trait were developed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between body condition score and health traits in first-lactation Canadian Holsteins

Loker

Miglior

Koeck

et al. 2012

Journal of Dairy Science

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The objective of this research was to estimate daily genetic correlations between longitudinal body condition score (BCS) and health traits by using a random regression animal model in first-lactation Holsteins. The use of indicator traits may increase the rate of genetic progress for functional traits relative to direct selection for functional traits. Indicator traits of interest are those that are easier to record, can be measured early in life, and are strongly genetically correlated with the functional trait of interest. Several BCS records were available per cow, and only 1 record per health trait (1 = affected; 0 = not affected) was permitted per cow over the lactation. Two bivariate analyses were performed, the first between BCS and mastitis and the second between BCS and metabolic disease (displaced abomasum, milk fever, and ketosis). For the first analysis, 217 complete herds were analyzed, which included 28,394 BCS records for 10,715 cows and 6,816 mastitis records for 6,816 cows. For the second analysis, 350 complete herds were analyzed, which included 42,167 BCS records for 16,534 cows and 13,455 metabolic disease records for 13,455 cows. Estimation of variance components by a Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling was performed using 400,000 samples after a burn-in of 150,000 samples. The average daily heritability (posterior standard deviation) of BCS was 0.260 (0.026) and the heritabilities of mastitis and metabolic disease were 0.020 (0.007) and 0.041 (0.012), respectively. Heritability estimates were similar to literature values. The average daily genetic correlation between BCS and mastitis was −0.730 (0.110). Cows with a low BCS during the lactation are more susceptible to mastitis, and mastitic cows are likely to have low BCS. Daily estimates of genetic correlations between BCS and mastitis were moderate to strong throughout the lactation, becoming stronger as the lactation progressed. The average daily genetic correlation between BCS and metabolic disease was −0.438 (0.125), and was consistent throughout the lactation. A lower BCS during the lactation is genetically associated with the occurrence of mastitis and metabolic disease.

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Genetic association between body energy measured throughout lactation and fertility in dairy cattle

Cited by 52 publications

References 27 publications

Short communication: Estimates of genetic parameters of body condition score in the first 3 lactations using a random regression animal model

Short communication: Estimates of genetic parameters of body condition score in the first 3 lactations using a random regression animal model

Relationship between the pre- and postpartum body condition scores and periparturient indices and fertility in high-yielding dairy cows

Relationship between body condition score and health traits in first-lactation Canadian Holsteins

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