This paper is only available as a PDF. To read, Please Download here.
Abstract
The phenotypic and genetic correlations between fertility ratings of AI bulls for conception rate and their estimated breeding values for daughters’ fertility and production traits were calculated. Genetic correlations between fertility ratings of bulls for conception and heifer fertility traits (age at first breeding, age at last breeding, and number of insemination per conception) were negative and ranged from −.04 to −.23, indicating daughters of bulls with high fertility ratings were younger at first breeding and required fewer services to conceive. In general, genetic correlations between fertility ratings of bulls for conception rate and cow fertility traits (days from calving to first breeding, days open, and number of inseminations per conception) and production traits (breed class average milk and fat and fat percentage) in the first two lactations were also moderate to high and in the favorable direction. Although heri-tability of both male and female fertility is low, these data indicate that heavy use of sires with high fertility ratings could have a mild positive effect on both male and female fertility. Evidence is also found to indicate that in this breed, selection for increased milk yield should not impair genetic ability of cows to reproduce.
References
- Associations among milk yield, yield persistency, conception, and culling of Israeli Holstein dairy cattle.J. Dairy Sci. 1985; 68: 382
- Estimation of genetic trends and correlations for Jersey cattle.J. Dairy Sci. 1983; 66: 1947
- Genetic aspects of beef production among Holstein-Friesians pedigree selected for milk production.J. Anim. Sci. 1973; 37: 676
- Genetic analysis of fertility data in an AI population.Zuchtungskunde. 1981; 53 (Anim. Breed. Abstr. 52, No. 3148.): 9
- Heritability and repeatability of fertility of dairy sires.J. Dairy Sci. 1976; 59: 1502
- The usefulness of useless data field tests and responsibilities.in: Proc. 2nd Tech. Conf. Artif. Insem. Reprod. Natl. Assoc. Anim. Breeders, Columbia, MO1968: 88
- Genetic relationship and additive genetic variation of productive and reproductive traits in Guernsey dairy cattle.J. Dairy Sci. 1987; 70: 1252
Lotthammer, K. H. 1978. Relationships between the inheritance of milk yield and fertility in cattle. Thesis, Tierz. Hich., Hannaover, GFR (Anim. Br. Abstr. 49, No. 2547.)
- Breeding for improved reproduction in cattle.World Rev. Anim. Prod. 1978; 14: 65
Murray, B. B., L. R. Schaeffer, and E. B. Burnside. 1977. Estimation of breeding values for non-return rates of Canadian Holstein-Friesian sire. Pages 30–33 in Dairy Ind. Res. Rep. 1977. Univ. Guelph, Guelph, Ont., Can.
- Genetic parameters for fertility of dairy bulls.J. Dairy Sci. 1988; 71: 2730
- Monitoring fertility of A. I. programs: can non-return rate do the job?.in: Proc 4th Tech. Conf. Artif. Insem. Reprod. Natl. Assoc. Anim. Breeders, Columbia, MO1976: 61
- Herd breeding problems and their consequences.J. Dairy Sci. 1972; 55: 385
- Heifer fertility and its relationship with cow fertility and production traits in Holstein dairy cattle.J. Dairy Sci. 1989; 72: 2665
- Relationship between fertility and production traits in Holstein dairy cattle is different lactations.J. Dairy Sci. 1989; 72: 2670
Schmid, R. 1974. Genetisch-statistische Auswertung der Non-Retum-Rate und einiger Spermaeigenschaftenin einer Flechvieh und Gelbvieh-Population. Diss., Univ. Munchen. Zuchthygiene 9:93. (Anim. Breed. Abstr. 44, No. 584.).
- Genetic variation in bull fertility.Meld. Nor. Landbrushogsk. 1982; 61 (Anim. Br. Abstr. 54, No. 1556.): 77
- Systematic environmental, direct, and service sire effects on conception rate in artificially inseminated Holstein cows.J. Dairy Sci. 1985; 68: 3004
- Estimates of genetic correlations between testicular measurements and female reproductive traits in cattle.J. Anim. Sci. 1985; 60: 89
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 21,
1989
Received:
October 31,
1988
Identification
Copyright
© 1989 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc.
User license
Elsevier user license | How you can reuse 
Elsevier's open access license policy
Elsevier user license
Permitted
For non-commercial purposes:
- Read, print & download
- Text & data mine
- Translate the article
Not Permitted
- Reuse portions or extracts from the article in other works
- Redistribute or republish the final article
- Sell or re-use for commercial purposes
Elsevier's open access license policy
