1. Paul VanRaden and Melvin Tooker* Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD paul@aipl.arsusda.gov 2006 Revised estimates of lifetime Net Merit for dairy breeds and breed crosses

2. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (2) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Introduction  Previous estimates used net merit (NM$), cheese merit (CM$), and fluid merit (FM$) formulas from 2000  Dairy breeds and breed crosses were compared using updated NM$, CM$, and FM$ formulas that include daughter pregnancy rate (DPR), calving ease, and stillbirth

3. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (3) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Data and Methods  National data for milk, fat, protein, productive life, SCS, and DPR were each evaluated using an all-breed animal model  New estimates of breed differences were compared to phenotypic breed differences and to previous estimates from studies that only included herds containing crossbred cows

4. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (4) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Breed Effects and Heterosis  New estimates of breed differences were generally intermediate between the previous estimates and the phenotypic breed differences; all three estimates were similar  Estimates of general heterosis from previous studies were used in the current research and not re-estimated

5. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (5) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Breed Effects and Heterosis Transmitting ability differences from Holstein Milk kg Fat kg Pro kgSCSPLDPR Jersey −1698−23−29+0.12+2.0+2.5 B. Swiss −927−15−13−0.08+0.1+0.5 Guernsey −1996−43−50+0.10−0.9+0.5 Ayrshire −1616−50−43−0.07+1.0+1.1 M. Short. −1851−70−51 0.00+0.8+1.7 Heterosis +318+16+12+0.02+0.3+1.8 Heterosis and DPR estimates are from previous research

6. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (6) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Other Trait Estimates  Body size composite estimated from mature weight  Udder composite, Feet & Leg composite extrapolated from regressions on other traits within Holsteins Size, PL, milk, DPR, SCS  Breed means for calving ease and for stillbirth 7.3 million HO, 37000 JE, 17000 BS, 2000 GU, 2000 AY, 300 MS

7. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (7) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Trait Correlations within Holsteins (and Jersey correlations for comparison) Breed Corr withSizePLSCSDPRMilk HOUdder.26.30−.33.03−.20 HOF&L.22.19−.02−.04−.02 JEUdder.36.41−.21.13−.02 JEF&L.53.20.02.21−.08

8. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (8) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Assumed Effects – Other Traits Transmitting ability differences from Holstein SizeUdderF&L Calving Difficulty Still- birth Jersey −10.4−1.4−2.1−7.1−1.5 B. Swiss 0.00.70.3−3.2−0.7 Guernsey −7.3−0.5−1.3−4.61.1 Ayrshire −5.8−1.6−0.9−3.5−1.2 M. Short. −4.20.1−0.6−0.1−2.4 Heterosis 0.90.0

9. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (9) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Net Merit Relative Emphasis Trait20032006Trait20032006 Protein3323Udder76 Fat2223F&L43 Milk00Size34 PL1117DPR79 SCS99CA$46 DPR = daughter pregnancy rate (fertility), CA$ is index of calving ease and stillbirth

10. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (10) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 NM$, FM$, CM$ - Economic Values NM$FM$CM$ Milk0.000.11−0.07 Fat2.70 Protein3.550.00 5.73 Other values are same in each index: PL 29, SCS -150, Size -14, Udder 28, F&L 13, DPR 21, CA$ 1

11. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (11) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Merit of F 1 Holstein Crossbreds Second Breed NM$CM$FM$ Ayrshire −304 −261−364 Brown Swiss 55 139−78 Guernsey −408−405−503 Jersey 31153−158 M. Shorthorn −498−461−547 Compared to 2005 genetic base for Holstein

12. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (12) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Later Generation Crosses Holstein backcross or multi-breed NM$CM$ FM$ HO x (BS x HO) +28+70−39 HO x (JE x HO) +16+77−79 BS x (JE x HO) −32+109−251 JE x (BS x HO) −44+116−292 HO x (BS x JE) +44+147−118 Compared to 2005 genetic base for Holstein

13. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (13) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 “Exotic” Breeds  US has pedigree records for other breeds; but very little production data  For further information: Interbull conversions to Ayrshire base U. Minnesota scientists (Heins et al.)

14. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (14) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Conclusions  Breed effects were re-estimated Yield, PL, SCS, DPR by all-breed model Udder, F&L composites from other traits Calving ease and stillbirth breed means  New Net Merit formula for August 2006  Holsteins still superior for FM$

15. Joint ADSA/ASAS Annual Meeting, July 2006 (15) VanRaden & Tooker 2006 Conclusions  HO x BS and HO x JE higher for NM$ and CM$  BS x JE higher than HO for CM$  Three breed crosses (HO, BS, JE) are higher than HO backcrosses for CM$, similar for NM$