Genetic relationship between lactation persistency and conformation traits in Polish Holstein-Friesian cow population

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The objective of this study was to find genetic relationships between lactation persistency and conformation traits of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The data were derived from SYMLEK -the Polish National Database. The analysis used 22 conformation traits and 3 persistency measures of 18 216 first lactation cows. Persistency was defined as milk yield in the second 100 days in milk (DIM) divided by the yield in the first 100 DIM, milk yield in the third 100 DIM divided by the yield in the first 100 DIM, and milk yield at 280 DIM divided by milk yield at 60 DIM. The lactation curve was modelled with fourth-order Legendre polynomials using a multiple-trait prediction method. The multiple-trait REML method was applied for (co)variance component estimation. The linear model for persistency included fixed effects of herd-year-season of calving, age of calving class, and random animal effect; the linear model for type traits included fixed effects of herd-year-season of calving-classifier, age of calving class, lactation stage, and random animal effect. Stature and composite type traits (except type and conformation) were moderately or strongly genetically correlated with each of the three persistency measures. Genetic correlations of lactation persistency with overall feet and leg score and overall udder score were high and positive, whereas the correlations with stature and size were high but negative. All linearly scored traits had little genetic relationship with persistency measures except for rear udder height, udder width, and foot angle. In these three cases the genetic correlations with persistency measures were relatively high, positive, and preferable. The obtained genetic correlations suggest that increased weights of composite traits like size, overall feet and leg score, and overall udder score in the selection index, as well as selection for better rear udder height and foot angle, might cause a favourable correlated response in persistency.

Phenotypic characteristics of linear traits of udder and angularity in Holstein-Friesian cows and their correlation with milk yield traits

“…A lower mean score of 5.60, for angularity in Holstein cows in Australia, was obtained by Haile-Mariam et al (2014), while Kern et al 2014obtained similar mean score of 6.35 for the trait of angularity in population of Holstein cows in Brazil. Mean score for angularity which is closest to one calculated in this research was determined in Holstein cows in Brazil being 6.44 (Campos et al, 2012), while the mean values of over 6.0 for this trait were obtained by Otwinowska-Mindur et al (2016) in Polish Holstein-Friesian population (6.12), then by Bohlouli et al (2015) in Holstein cows in Iran (6.24), by Janković et al (2016) in primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in Vojvodina province (6.33) and by Almeida et al (2017) in Holstein cows in Brazil (6.30). In relation to a mean value reported herein a higher value of 6.67 for angularity was obtained by Dadpasand et al (2012) in Holstein population in Iran while Van der Laak et al (2016) obtained a significantly lower value of 4.83 in tested sample of Holstein-Friesian cows in Holland.…”

“…Janković et al (2016) obtained lower average values in primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in Vojvodina province for all udder traits (from 4.91 for front teat position to 5.97 for rear udder height), likewise Van der Laak et al (2016), who obtained lower average values for all udder traits (from 5.05 for fore-udder attachment to 5.49 for rear udder height), except for a teat lenght (4.71), in Holstein-Friesian population of Holland. Otwinowska-Mindur et al (2016), in Holstein-Friesian population in Poland, obtained lower mean values for rear udder height (5.43), udder depth (5.50) and front teat position (5.66); while higher values were obtained for fore-udder attachment (6.16), front teat position (5.26) and teat length (5.39) compared to mean values obtained in this research. Almeida et al (2017) obtained higher average values in Brazilian Holstein population for fore-udder attachment (6.0), rear udder attachment (6.40), and front teat position (6.20).…”

Dairy Cattle Body Width Principal Component and the Correlation Level to Milk Yields as An Option for Selection Approach

“…Others claimed this trait related to milk yield negatively despite being very low (Bitaraf Sani et al, 2022). In turn, this trait is unrelated to the lactation persistency level in Polish Holstein Friesian (Otwinowska-Mindur et al, 2016). Besides, this trait has a high heritability score and moderately correlates to longevity (Kern et al, 2015).…”

Prediction of some milk production traits using udder and teat measurements with a spotlight on their genetic background in Friesian cows

“…Mavrogenis et al 64 , reported that the relationships between teat measures and milk production were generally low. Also, Otwinowska-Mindur et al 65 found that the genetic correlations of persistency measures with rear teat placement were rather low negative. this should be regarded as favourable, because selection for better persistency would decrease the scores for rear teat placement towards the optimum of this trait.…”