Genetic Relationship Between Body Condition Score, Dairy Character, Mastitis, and Diseases Other than Mastitis in First-Parity Danish Holstein Cows

Lassen, Jan; Hansen, Maria S.; Sørensen, M.K.; Aamand, G.P.; Christensen, Leif; Madsen, Per

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(03)73979-4

Cited by 54 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…This seems to indicate that cows with a genetically high BCS 1) would have a greater chance to have a calf that survives (CSm) and 2) would transmit genes to the calf that permit an easy birth (CEd) and increased chance of survival (CSd). These last statements are supported by previous research that reported that genetically low BCS was related to less robust cows presenting impaired fertility (Dechow et al, 2001;Pryce et al, 2001) or health disorders such as mastitis (Lassen et al, 2003;Neuenschwander et al, 2009). …”

Section: Genetic Correlations Between Bcs and Calving Traitssupporting

confidence: 77%

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

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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).

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Section: Genetic Correlations Between Bcs and Calving Traitssupporting

confidence: 77%

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

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“…Although the difference in mastitis incidence between thin and not-thin cows was small, the thin cows were expected to have a greater incidence. Typically, very fat or very thin cows are at a greater risk of disease in the first 100 DIM (Lassen et al, 2003). Figure 6 is the plot of convergence of the average daily genetic correlation between BCS and mastitis calculated by using genetic (co)variance estimates from every fifth round of the Gibbs sampler.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

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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“…Th e relationship between dairy character and mastitis incidence was addressed in some previous studies. Hansen et al (2002) and Lassen et al (2003) estimated moderate genetic correlations between these two traits in Danish Holstein cattle and concluded that breeding for less expressed dairy character will increase resistance to mastitis. We had no data on CM, but assuming that SCS is a good indicator of mastitis, no such a tendency as in Danish Holsteins was observed in the Polish population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritabilities and genetic correlations of lactational and daily somatic cell score with conformation traits in Polish Holstein cattle

Ptak¹,

Jagusiak²,

Zarnecki³

et al. 2011

Czech J. Anim. Sci.

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The objective of this study was to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations of lactational and daily somatic cell scores with descriptive and linear type traits in Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. Data were: test-day somatic cell scores and conformation evaluations of 24 599 primiparous cows, daughters of 802 sires. Cows calved from 2006 to 2007. The lactational somatic cell score was calculated as the average of four test-day somatic cell scores at least. The daily somatic cell score was the test-day somatic cell score closest to the date of type evaluation. A multi-trait animal model was used to estimate genetic parameters. (Co)variance components were estimated by a Bayesian algorithm via Gibbs sampling. The heritability of lactational somatic cell score was 0.20 and it was much higher than that of daily somatic cell score (0.13). Heritabilities of type traits were high to moderate for height at rump (0.46), size (0.39), overall conformation score (0.30), two linear rump traits (0.28–0.29) and three linear teat traits (0.26–0.29). The genetic correlation between lactational and daily somatic cell scores was 0.84. In many cases, daily somatic cell score showed higher genetic correlations with type traits than lactational somatic cell score. Descriptive udder and feet and legs scores were genetically correlated negatively with both lactational (–0.22 and –0.20) and daily somatic cell scores (–0.28 and –0.33). Somatic cell traits were genetically correlated positively with rump angle (0.21 and 0.19) and negatively with fore udder height (–0.26 and –0.29), udder depth (–0.23 and –0.17) and central ligament (–0.14 and –0.16). Due to higher heritability, direct selection for lower lactational somatic cell score would be more effective than selection for lower daily somatic cell score. The magnitude of obtained heritabilities and the favourable genetic correlations indicate that the selection utilizing some type traits could improve the resistance to mastitis.

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Genetic Relationship Between Body Condition Score, Dairy Character, Mastitis, and Diseases Other than Mastitis in First-Parity Danish Holstein Cows

Cited by 54 publications

References 23 publications

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

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

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

Heritabilities and genetic correlations of lactational and daily somatic cell score with conformation traits in Polish Holstein cattle

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