H.D. Norman* J.R. Wright, P.M. VanRaden, and M.T. Kuhn Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory Agricultural Research Service, USDA Beltsville, MD , USA ADSA 2003 (HDN-1) 2003 Characteristics of genetic evaluations for daughter fertility in relation to other fitness traits Abstr. 519
ADSA 2003 (HDN-2) 2003 DHI-Provo lactation records Trait Mean Change Calving 1st breeding (d)8286 5% Calving conception (days open) 19% 1st breeding conception (d)4768 45% Inseminations/conception 15%
ADSA 2003 (HDN-3) 2003 Economic impact Lower herd milk yield Increased insemination costs Losses from involuntary culling for fertility International export disadvantage
ADSA 2003 (HDN-4) 2003 Data donors Dairy Records Management Systems Raleigh, NC AgSource Cooperative Services Verona, WI AgriTech Analytics Visalia, CA Pennsylvania DHIA Service Center University Park, PA
ADSA 2003 (HDN-5) 2003 Reproductive traits Days to 1st breeding Service period Percentage of nonreturn to 1st service Services per conception Days open
ADSA 2003 (HDN-6) 2003 Pregnancy rate (PR) Percentage of nonpregnant cows that become pregnant during next 21 d Derived from days open: PR = (233 – days open) / 4
ADSA 2003 (HDN-7) 2003 Selection for fertility? Pessimistic R.H. Foote, 1969, JDS R. Nebel, 2003, Holstein International Optimistic Norman et al., 2003, ADSA meeting
ADSA 2003 (HDN-8) 2003 Coefficients of variation (CV) TraitMean Pheno- typic SD CV (%) Pheno- typic Genetic Protein (kg) SCS3.1 PL (mo) DPR (%) DPR = daughter pregnancy rate, PL = productive life, SCS = somatic cell score
ADSA 2003 (HDN-9) 2003 Genetic progress G =accuracy genetic SD selection intensity generation interval Dickerson & Hazel, 1944
ADSA 2003 (HDN-10) 2003 Objectives Compare evaluation characteristics DPR Other recent fitness traits Determine appropriate perspective for use of current genetic tools
ADSA 2003 (HDN-11) 2003 Genetic trend: DPR
ADSA 2003 (HDN-12) 2003 Genetic trend: SCS, PL
ADSA 2003 (HDN-13) 2003 Mean cow reliability (%) Trait Birth year Protein (kg) SCS PL DPR32 30
ADSA 2003 (HDN-14) 2003 Heritability (%) Trait Repeat- ability Records (no.) Protein (kg) SCS PL DPR
ADSA 2003 (HDN-15) 2003 Mean bull reliability (%) Trait Birth year Protein (kg) SCS PL67 61 DPR Service sire CE Daughter CE Feet & Legs6670
ADSA 2003 (HDN-16) 2003 Birth year and AI organization Effect on PTA variation: No differences among AI organizations for DPR, but an effect found for PL and SCS TraitBirth yearAI organization DPR2.6%.3% PL5.8%.1% SCS1.1%.4%
ADSA 2003 (HDN-17) 2003 Conclusions DPR reliability comparable to reliabilities for other fitness traits DPR should be included in all aspects of genetic programs to reverse decline in reproductive performance Little difference in DPR among AI organizations If fitness traits receive 50% of weight in future net merit indexes, acceptance of lower reliability will become more common