Genetics of Body Condition Score in New Zealand Dairy Cows

Pryce, J.E.; Harris, B. L.

doi:10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(06)72490-0

Cited by 71 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The average daily heritability, obtained as the average of the daily heritabilities across the entire lactation, was about 0.13 for both breeds (Table 5). These heritabilities were generally lower than estimates from the literature obtained from various data sets (Holstein or other breeds; one or several BCS records throughout the cow's lifetime; 5-or 9-point scale; different systems of production) using various models (random regression vs. multivariate; animal vs. sire) with estimates ranging between 0.27 and 0.36 (Gallo et al, 2001), between 0.28 and 0.37 ), between 0.29 and 0.43 (Berry et al, 2003a), and between 0.23 and 0.32 (Pryce and Harris, 2006). Some suggestions could be put forward to explain the relatively low heritability estimates of this study.…”

Section: Variance Components Heritabilities and Genetic Correlationmentioning

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

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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: Variance Components Heritabilities and Genetic Correlationmentioning

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

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“…Breed thresholds for heat stress on animal performance are derived from a previous study (Bryant et al 2007a). Hybrid vigour effects for milk, fat and protein yield, and BCS traits are included based on estimates given in Pryce & Harris (2006) and Bryant et al (2007b).…”

Section: Animal Modulementioning

confidence: 99%

Description and evaluation of the Farmax Dairy Pro decision support model

Bryant

Ogle²,

Marshall³

et al. 2010

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Decision support models have been developed to assist management in dairy systems. This paper describes Farmax Dairy Pro (a pastoral grazing model of a dairy farm) and presents an evaluation of it using two independent farmlet studies carried out in Hamilton and Palmerston North, New Zealand with spring-calving dairy cows. Farmax Dairy Pro predicted, to a high degree of accuracy, mean annual yields (per cow and per hectare) for milk, fat, protein and milksolids (MS; fat'protein) and mean annual concentrations of MS. Monthly predictions were predicted with less accuracy than whole lactation values, but still with moderate degrees of accuracy compared with other comparable models. The general trajectory over time of yield and MS concentration was predicted well for all datasets, but in some instances the model over or under predicted the degree of variation between months. The trajectory of body condition score over time was reliably simulated in early lactation but with some discrepancies in late lactation. The model was then used to determine if it was possible to achieve 1750 kg MS/cow per ha using forages grown within the milking area for the Hamilton study. Managerial changes represented in the model, which included earlier calving dates, use of a chicory crop and additional intakes of pasture in summer, predicted increases in performance of 50Á190 kg MS/ha, still at least 81 kg MS/ha short of the target level of production. Farmax Dairy Pro can be used to predict animal, farm and financial performance for different management scenarios.

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“…These authors could not find another study that investigated BCS across parities using a multiple-lactation random regression animal model applied to commercial data. Several studies have modeled BCS using a random regression sire model (Jones et al, 1999;Veerkamp et al, 2001;Pryce and Harris, 2006). Pryce et al (2000) used the sire EBV from Jones et al (1999) to regress daughter records of calving interval on sire EBV for BCS to infer genetic correlations between the 2 traits.…”

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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Genetics of Body Condition Score in New Zealand Dairy Cows

Cited by 71 publications

References 21 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

Description and evaluation of the Farmax Dairy Pro decision support model

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

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