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Buonaiuto G, Visentin G, Costa A, Niero G, Degano L, Cavallini D, Mammi LME, Palmonari A, Formigoni A, Lopez-Villalobos N. The effect of first-lactation calving season, milk production, and morphology on the survival of Simmental cows. Animal 2024; 18:101128. [PMID: 38574454 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Longevity in dairy and dual-purpose cattle is a complex trait which depends on many individual and managerial factors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the survival (SURV) rate of Italian Simmental dual-purpose cows across different parities. Data of this study referred to 2 173 primiparous cows under official milk recording that calved between 2002 and 2020. Only cows linearly classified for type traits, including muscularity (MU) and body condition score (BCS) were kept. Survival analysis was carried out, through the Cox regression model, for different pairwise combinations of classes of milk productivity MU, BCS, and calving season. Herd-year of first calving was also considered in the model. SURV (0 = culled; 1 = survived) at each lactation up to the 6th were the dependent variables, so that, for example, SURV2 equal to 1 was attributed to cows that entered the 2nd lactation. Survival rates were 98, 71, 63, 56, and 53% for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th lactation, respectively. Results revealed that SURV2 was not dependent on milk yield, while in subsequent parities, low-producing cows were characterized by higher SURV compared to high-producing ones. Additionally, cows starting the lactation in autumn survived less (47.38%) than those starting in spring (53.49%), suggesting that facing the late gestation phase in summer could increase the culling risk. The present study indicates that SURV in Italian Simmental cows is influenced by various factors in addition to milk productivity. However, it is important to consider that in this study all first-calving cows culled before the linear evaluation - carried out between mid- and late lactation in this breed - were not accounted for. Finding can be transferred to other dual-purpose breeds, where the cows' body conformation and muscle development - i.e. meat-related features - are often considered as important as milk performance by farmers undertaking culling decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Buonaiuto
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - G Visentin
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - A Costa
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy.
| | - G Niero
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - L Degano
- National Association of Italian Simmental Cattle Breeders (ANAPRI), Via Ippolito Nievo, 19, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - D Cavallini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - L M E Mammi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - A Palmonari
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - A Formigoni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences (DIMEVET), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia (BO), Italy
| | - N Lopez-Villalobos
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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Silva DO, Fernandes Júnior GA, Fonseca LFS, Mota LFM, Bresolin T, Carvalheiro R, de Albuquerque LG. Genome-wide association study for stayability at different calvings in Nellore beef cattle. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:93. [PMID: 38254039 PMCID: PMC10804543 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10020-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDING Stayability, which may be defined as the probability of a cow remaining in the herd until a reference age or at a specific number of calvings, is usually measured late in the animal's life. Thus, if used as selection criteria, it will increase the generation interval and consequently might decrease the annual genetic gain. Measuring stayability at an earlier age could be a reasonable strategy to avoid this problem. In this sense, a better understanding of the genetic architecture of this trait at different ages and/or at different calvings is important. This study was conducted to identify possible regions with major effects on stayability measured considering different numbers of calvings in Nellore cattle as well as pathways that can be involved in its expression throughout the female's productive life. RESULTS The top 10 most important SNP windows explained, on average, 17.60% of the genetic additive variance for stayability, varying between 13.70% (at the eighth calving) and 21% (at the fifth calving). These SNP windows were located on 17 chromosomes (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 27, and 28), and they harbored a total of 176 annotated genes. The functional analyses of these genes, in general, indicate that the expression of stayability from the second to the sixth calving is mainly affected by genetic factors related to reproductive performance, and nervous and immune systems. At the seventh and eighth calvings, genes and pathways related to animal health, such as density bone and cancer, might be more relevant. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that part of the target genomic regions in selecting for stayability at earlier ages (from the 2th to the 6th calving) would be different than selecting for this trait at later ages (7th and 8th calvings). While the expression of stayability at earlier ages appeared to be more influenced by genetic factors linked to reproductive performance together with an overall health/immunity, at later ages genetic factors related to an overall animal health gain relevance. These results support that selecting for stayability at earlier ages (perhaps at the second calving) could be applied, having practical implications in breeding programs since it could drastically reduce the generation interval, accelerating the genetic progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Osmar Silva
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
| | - Gerardo Alves Fernandes Júnior
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Larissa Fernanda Simielli Fonseca
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Lúcio Flávio Macedo Mota
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Tiago Bresolin
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberto Carvalheiro
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucia Galvão de Albuquerque
- Animal Science Department, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, Brazil.
- Present address: Departamento de Zootecnia, Via de acesso Paulo Donato Castellane s/n., São Paulo, Jaboticabal, CEP: 14884-900, Brazil.
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da Silva Morales D, Silva DO, Ayres DR, Junior MLS, Bignardi AB, Ventura RV, de Oliveira Menezes GR, Carvalheiro R, Piccoli ML, Roso VM, Pereira RJ. Genetic associations between stayability to consecutive calvings and traits of economic interest in taurine and zebu breeds. J Anim Breed Genet 2024; 141:83-95. [PMID: 37789663 DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Stayability (STAY) is a way to evaluate the productive longevity of females. Measuring the STAY at each cow calving allows earlier indicators of longevity to be obtained. Our objective with this study was to verify the association between STAY and consecutive calvings and traits potentially used as selection criteria in beef cattle, such as age at first calving (AFC), days to calving (DC), weaning weight (WW), and yearling weight (YW). Data from the Nelore, Angus/Brangus, and Hereford/Braford breeds were used. The estimation of variance components and subsequent prediction of breeding values were performed for all traits. The estimated breeding values (EBV) were used to analyse the association between STAY and the other traits. The Pearson's correlation estimated between the EBV for the intercept coefficient for STAY to consecutive calvings and those of AFC, DC, WW (direct and maternal effects), and YW was favourable and of low magnitude (<0.25) depending on the breed studied. The influence of the genetic merit of AFC on the chance of selection for STAY was favourable and relevant regardless of the intensity of selection and breed. DC and WW (maternal effect) traits were favourably influenced by the chance of selection for STAY, irrespective of breed. The WW (direct effect) did not affect the chance of selection for STAY for the Nelore and Hereford/Braford breeds and negatively influenced, but to a small extent, the Angus/Brangus breed. For YW, an increase in genetic merit affected the chances of selection for STAY, depending on the breed and selection intensity evaluated. The influence of the genetic merit for AFC, DC, and WW (maternal effect) on the chance of selection for STAY to consecutive calvings was favourable and relevant regardless of the selection intensity scenario evaluated. The WW (direct effect) did not influence the chance of selection for STAY. For the scenario with high selection intensity, the selection for YW favourably influenced the chance of selection for STAY in Angus/Brangus and Hereford/Braford breeds but not in Nelore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Débora da Silva Morales
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Universidade Federal de Rondonopolis, Rondonópolis, Brazil
| | - Diogo Osmar Silva
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Universidade Federal de Rondonopolis, Rondonópolis, Brazil
| | - Denise Rocha Ayres
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Universidade Federal de Rondonopolis, Rondonópolis, Brazil
| | - Mário Luiz Santana Junior
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Universidade Federal de Rondonopolis, Rondonópolis, Brazil
| | - Annaiza Braga Bignardi
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Universidade Federal de Rondonopolis, Rondonópolis, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Vieira Ventura
- Universidade de São Paulo (USP)-Faculdade de Medicina Veterinário e Zootecnia (FMVZ), Pirassununga, Brazil
| | | | - Roberto Carvalheiro
- School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | | | | | - Rodrigo Junqueira Pereira
- Grupo de Melhoramento Animal de Mato Grosso (GMAT), Universidade Federal de Rondonopolis, Rondonópolis, Brazil
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Strapáková E, Candrák J, Strapák P. Analysis of Calving Ease and Stillbirth and Their Impact on the Length of Functional Productive Life in Slovak Holstein Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091496. [PMID: 37174533 PMCID: PMC10177267 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of births according to the categories of calving difficulty and stillbirths and to evaluate the effect of these factors on the longevity of cows. Longevity is one of the traits that affect the overall profit in the dairy industry. A Weibull proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the influence of functional traits such as calving ease and stillbirth. Longevity was expressed as the length of a functional, productive life from the first calving to death or censoring, which was corrected for milk yield. The database included 918,568 calvings, where calving without assistance represented 83.34%, calving with the assistance of one person or the use of a slight mechanical pull represented 14.47%, difficult calving with the assistance of several people, the use of mechanical traction or the intervention of a veterinarian represented 2.16%, and cesarean section represented 0.03%. The mortality of calves, stillborn or dead within 48 h of birth, represented 1.07% and 6.59%, respectively. The frequency of alive female calves was higher (46.84%) than male calves (45.50%). Cows with higher lactations had almost half as many stillborn calves as heifers. The most stillborn calves were found in difficult births (59.48%). In easy calving, this proportion was 2.48%. Using survival analysis, we estimated the significant influence of the factors such as parity, milk production, herd size, age at first calving, herd × year × season, sex of calf, calving ease, and stillbirth on the length of the functional, productive life of cows. The risk of early culling of the cows with moderately difficult calving was 1.259 times higher than in the cows with easy calving. Difficult calving and cesarean section shorten the productive life, and the risk of culling reached 1.711 and 1.894, respectively. Cows that gave birth to a dead calf achieved a 2.939 times higher risk of culling compared to cows that gave birth to a live calf. In this study, a higher risk of early culling was found in cows that gave birth to a male calf. Evaluation of the calving ease and stillbirth can be used as indirect indicators at an earlier age of the animal in the selection process for long-lived animals with good productive and reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Strapáková
- Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Trieda Andreja Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Juraj Candrák
- Institute of Nutrition and Genomics, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Trieda Andreja Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Peter Strapák
- Institute of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Trieda Andreja Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia
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5
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Buonaiuto G, Lopez-Villalobos N, Costa A, Niero G, Degano L, Mammi LME, Cavallini D, Palmonari A, Formigoni A, Visentin G. Stayability in Simmental cattle as affected by muscularity and body condition score between calvings. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1141286. [PMID: 37065221 PMCID: PMC10094164 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1141286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the association between stayability (STAY) traits, muscularity, and body condition score (BCS) in the Italian Simmental dual-purpose cows. Data were collected from 2,656 cows linearly scored in their first lactation from 2002 to 2020 and reared in 324 herds. The binary trait STAY, which is the ability of a cow to stay in the herd, was obtained for each cow-lactation available up to parity 5 (from STAY1-2 to STAY4-5). Analysis of STAY was carried out using logistic regression, considering the fixed effect of energy corrected milk, conception rate, somatic cell score, and muscularity or BCS predicted at different time points. The herd of linear classification and residual error were the random effects. Primiparous cows with a medium BCS and muscularity in early lactation presented a more favorable STAY across life compared to thinner ones (P < 0.05). In fact, cows with an intermediate BCS/muscularity were more likely to stay in the herd after the third lactation (STAY3-4), compared to those presenting a lower BCS/muscularity (P < 0.01). However, cows whose muscularity was high were generally less likely to start the third lactation compared to the others. A potential explanation for this could be the willing to market cows with good conformation for meat purpose. Simmental is in fact a dual-purpose breed known for the good carcass yield and meat quality. This study demonstrates how muscularity and BCS available early in life can be associated with the ability of Simmental cows to stay in the herd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Buonaiuto
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Angela Costa
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Niero
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Degano
- National Association of Italian Simmental Cattle Breeders (ANAPRI), Udine, Italy
| | - Ludovica Maria Eugenia Mammi
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Ludovica Maria Eugenia Mammi
| | - Damiano Cavallini
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto Palmonari
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Formigoni
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulio Visentin
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Mamede MMS, Rosa GJM, Eifert EC, Lopes FB, Baldi F, Costa MF, Sainz RD, Carmo AS, Mascioli AS, Magnabosco CU. Estimating genetic parameters of reproductive, carcass, and meat quality traits in Polled Nellore cattle. Trop Anim Health Prod 2023; 55:119. [PMID: 36930426 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03541-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Considering the economic and commercial efficiency of the beef production chain, the yield and quality of the meat produced must also be included in breeding programs. For the Nellore breed, including the polled herd, these aspects have not been much studied. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for scrotal circumference adjusted to 365 (SC365) and 450 (SC450) days of age, age at first calving (AFC), accumulated productivity (AP), stayability (STAY), longissimus muscle area (LMA), thickness of subcutaneous fat over the 12th-13th ribs (BF), thickness of subcutaneous fat over the rump (RF), and shear force measured by Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of polled Nellore cattle. Bayesian analyses were performed by adopting a linear animal model, whereas STAY analyses used the linear threshold model. Heritability estimates were 0.31 (SC365), 0.37 (SC450), 0.16 (AFC), 0.25 (AP), 0.16 (STAY), 0.30 (LMA), 0.13 (BF), 0.24 (RF), and 0.15 (WBSF), indicating moderate response to selection. Genetic and residual correlations between SC365 and SC450 were high (0.91 and 0.74, respectively), as well as the genetic correlations of AP with SC365, SC450, AFC, and STAY (0.61, 0.62, - 0.69, and 0.83, respectively). Genetic and residual correlations of WBSF with reproductive and carcass characteristics exhibited high standard deviations, however favorable. Based on the results, it is expected that in the medium term, animals with greater sexual precocity will also have greater accumulated productivity and longer permanence of females in the herd, along with superior carcass traits. However, due to the low heritabilities and small genetic associations with reproductive traits, fat thickness characteristics (BF and RF) will still require direct selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M S Mamede
- School of Veterinary and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - G J M Rosa
- Department of Animal Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - E C Eifert
- Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, DF, Brazil
| | - F B Lopes
- Foundation for Research Support of the State of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - F Baldi
- Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, State University of São Paulo, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - M F Costa
- Embrapa Rice and Beans, Santo Antônio de Goiás, GO, Brazil
| | - R D Sainz
- School of Veterinary and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - A S Carmo
- School of Veterinary and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
| | - A S Mascioli
- School of Veterinary and Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
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Hu H, Mu T, Ma Y, Wang X, Ma Y. Analysis of Longevity Traits in Holstein Cattle: A Review. Front Genet 2021; 12:695543. [PMID: 34413878 PMCID: PMC8369829 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.695543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Dairy cow longevity is an essential economic trait that can supplement the breeding value of production traits, which is related to the herd time and lifetime milk yield of dairy cows. However, longevity is a relatively difficult trait to select for dairy cow breeding due to low heritability and numerous influence factors of the longevity in dairy cows. Longevity trait has been used as an important breeding target of a comprehensive selection index in many dairy developed countries; however, it has not been included in performance index in many developing countries. At present, cows in these countries are still in the primary stage of “large quantity, low quality, high cost, and low yield.” The average parity of dairy cows is less than 2.7, which is difficult to maintain the production efficiency to meet the demands of the dairy industry. Therefore, there is an urgent need to select and breed for the longevity of dairy cows. The various definitions and models (including linear, threshold, random regression, sire, and survival analysis) of longevity were reviewed and standardized. Survival analysis is the optimal model to evaluate longevity, and the longevity heritability is 0.01–0.30 by using different definitions and models. Additionally, the relationship between longevity and other traits was summarized, and found that longevity was regulated by multiple factors, and there were low or medium genetic correlations between them. Conformation traits, milk production traits, reproductive traits, and health traits may be used as indicators to select and breed the longevity of dairy cows. The genetic assessment methods, heritability, influencing factors, importance, breeding, and genetics of longevity were reviewed in the manuscript, which could provide a valuable reference for the selective breeding to extend the productive life of Holstein cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honghong Hu
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Tong Mu
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yanfen Ma
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - XingPing Wang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Yun Ma
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
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8
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Longevity and reproductive traits in Angus cattle: Genetic parameters, predicted and realized genetic change. Livest Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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9
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Ogawa S, Kimata M, Ishii K, Uemoto Y, Satoh M. Genetic analysis for sow stayability at different parities in purebred Landrace and Large White pigs. Anim Sci J 2021; 92:e13599. [PMID: 34309970 PMCID: PMC9285752 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Genetic parameters for sow stayability were estimated from farrowing records of 10,295 Landrace sows and 8192 Large White sows. The record for sow stayability from parity k to parity k + 1 (k = 1, …, 6) was 0 when a sow had a farrowing record at parity k but not at parity k + 1, and 1 when a sow had both records. Heritability was estimated by using single‐trait linear and threshold animal models. Genetic correlations among parities were estimated by using two‐trait linear–linear and single‐trait random regression linear animal models. Genetic correlations with litter traits at birth were estimated by using a two‐trait linear–linear animal model. Heritability estimates by linear model analysis were low (0.065–0.119 in Landrace & 0.061–0.157 in Large White); those by threshold model analysis were higher (0.136–0.200 & 0.110–0.283). Genetic correlations among parities differed between breeds and models. Genetic correlation between sow stayability and number born alive was positive in many cases, implying that selection for number born alive does not reduce sow stayability. The results seem to be affected by decisions on culling made by farmers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Ogawa
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Kazuo Ishii
- Division of Animal Breeding and Reproduction, Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Uemoto
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Masahiro Satoh
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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MacNeil MD, Buchanan JW, Spangler ML, Hay EH. Effects of management decisions on genetic evaluation of simulated calving records using random regression. Transl Anim Sci 2021; 5:txab078. [PMID: 34189417 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various data structures on the genetic evaluation for the binary phenotype of reproductive success. The data were simulated based on an existing pedigree and an underlying fertility phenotype with a heritability of 0.10. A data set of complete observations was generated for all cows. This data set was then modified mimicking the culling of cows when they first failed to reproduce, cows having a missing observation at either their second or fifth opportunity to reproduce as if they had been selected as donors for embryo transfer, and censoring records following the sixth opportunity to reproduce as in a cull-for-age strategy. The data were analyzed using a third-order polynomial random regression model. The EBV of interest for each animal was the sum of the age-specific EBV over the first 10 observations (reproductive success at ages 2-11). Thus, the EBV might be interpreted as the genetic expectation of number of calves produced when a female is given 10 opportunities to calve. Culling open cows resulted in the EBV for 3-yr-old cows being reduced from 8.27 ± 0.03 when open cows were retained to 7.60 ± 0.02 when they were culled. The magnitude of this effect decreased as cows grew older when they first failed to reproduce and were subsequently culled. Cows that did not fail over the 11 yr of simulated data had an EBV of 9.43 ± 0.01 and 9.35 ± 0.01 based on analyses of the complete data and the data in which cows that failed to reproduce were culled, respectively. Cows that had a missing observation for their second record had a significantly reduced EBV, but the corresponding effect at the fifth record was negligible. The current study illustrates that culling and management decisions, and particularly those that affect the beginning of the trajectory of sustained reproductive success, can influence both the magnitude and accuracy of resulting EBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D MacNeil
- Simplot Land and Livestock, Grandview, ID 83624, USA.,Delta G, Miles City, MT 59301, USA.,Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontain, South Africa
| | | | - Matthew L Spangler
- Animal Science Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - El Hamidi Hay
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, MT 59301, USA
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Impact of Censored or Penalized Data in the Genetic Evaluation of Two Longevity Indicator Traits Using Random Regression Models in North American Angus Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030800. [PMID: 33809341 PMCID: PMC8001693 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cow longevity is a key driver of the beef cattle industry profitability that can be improved through genetic and genomic selection. Censored data are commonly dealt with in genetic evaluations of longevity, which can unfavorably impact the accuracy of breeding values and the rates of genetic progress. In this study, we evaluated alternative scenarios to define the best approaches for genetically evaluating longevity in North American Angus cattle in the presence of censored data. Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different proportions (i.e., 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%) of censored (CEN) or penalized (PEN) data in the prediction of breeding values (EBVs), genetic parameters, and computational efficiency for two longevity indicators (i.e., traditional and functional longevity; TL and FL, respectively). In addition, three different criteria were proposed for PEN: (1) assuming that all cows with censored records were culled one year after their last reported calving; (2) assuming that cows with censored records older than nine years were culled one year after their last reported calving, while censored (missing) records were kept for cows younger than nine years; and (3) assuming that cows with censored records older than nine years were culled one year after their last reported calving, while cows younger than nine years were culled two years after their last reported calving. All analyses were performed using random regression models based on fourth order Legendre orthogonal polynomials. The proportion of commonly selected animals and EBV correlations were calculated between the complete dataset (i.e., without censored or penalized data; COM) and all simulated proportions of CEN or PEN. The computational efficiency was evaluated based on the total computing time taken by each scenario to complete 150,000 Bayesian iterations. In summary, increasing the CEN proportion significantly (p-value < 0.05 by paired t-tests) decreased the heritability estimates for both TL and FL. When compared to CEN, PEN tended to yield heritabilities closer to COM, especially for FL. Moreover, similar heritability patterns were observed for all three penalization criteria. High proportions of commonly selected animals and EBV correlations were found between COM and CEN with 20% censored data (for both TL and FL), and COM and all levels of PEN (for FL). The proportions of commonly selected animals and EBV correlations were lower for PEN than CEN for TL, which suggests that the criteria used for PEN are not adequate for TL. Analyses using COM and CEN took longer to finish than PEN analyses. In addition, increasing the amount of censored records also tended to increase the computational time. A high proportion (>20%) of censored data has a negative impact in the genetic evaluation of longevity. The penalization criteria proposed in this study are useful for genetic evaluations of FL, but they are not recommended when analyzing TL.
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12
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Genetic analyses of stayability to consecutive calvings in taurine and crossbred (Bos indicus x Bos taurus) cattle. Livest Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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13
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Using Random Regression Models to Genetically Evaluate Functional Longevity Traits in North American Angus Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10122410. [PMID: 33339420 PMCID: PMC7766511 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cattle longevity is usually defined as the duration of life of a cow from first calving to death. In addition to a longer lifespan, it is crucial that cows are productive throughout their lives. Incorporating optimal indicators of productive longevity in breeding schemes will directly improve the economic profitability of the beef cattle herd and long-term sustainability of the industry. Thus, the impact of different longevity indicators in the selection of North American Angus cattle was evaluated and optimal parameters were defined to perform the evaluations. Abstract This study aimed to propose novel longevity indicators by comparing genetic parameters for traditional (TL; i.e., the cow’s lifespan after the first calving) and functional (FL; i.e., how long the cow stayed in the herd while also calving; assuming no missing (FLa) or missing (FLb) records for unknown calving) longevity, considering different culling reasons (natural death, structural problems, disease, fertility, performance, and miscellaneous). Longevity definitions were evaluated from 2 to 15 years of age, using single- and multiple-trait Bayesian random regression models (RRM). The RRM fitting heterogenous residual variance and fourth order Legendre polynomials were considered as the optimal models for the majority of longevity indicators. The average heritability estimates over ages for FLb (from 0.08 to 0.25) were always higher than those for FLa (from 0.07 to 0.19), and higher or equal to the ones estimated for TL (from 0.07 to 0.23), considering the different culling reasons. The average genetic correlations estimated between ages were low to moderate (~0.40), for all longevity definitions and culling reasons. However, removing the extreme ages (i.e., 2 and >12 years) increased the average correlation between ages (from ~0.40 to >0.70). The genetic correlations estimated between culling reasons were low (0.12 and 0.20 on average, considering all ages and ages between 3 and 12 years old, respectively), indicating that longevity based on different culling reasons should be considered as different traits in the genetic evaluations. Higher average genetic correlations (estimated from 3 to 12 years old) were observed between TL and FLb (0.73) in comparison to TL and FLa (0.64), or FLa and FLb (0.65). Consequently, a higher average proportion of commonly-selected sires, for the top 1% sires, was also observed between TL and FLb (91.74%), compared to TL and FLa (59.68%), or FLa and FLb (61.01%). Higher prediction accuracies for the expected daughter performances (calculated based on the pedigree information) were obtained for FLb in comparison to TL and FLa. Our findings indicate that FLb is preferred for the genetic evaluation of longevity. In addition, it is recommended including multiple longevity traits based on different groups of culling reasons in a selection sub-index, as they are genetically-different traits. Genetic selection based on breeding values at the age of four years is expected to result in greater selection responses for increased longevity in North American Angus cattle.
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14
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Estimated genetic associations among reproductive traits in Nellore cattle using Bayesian analysis. Anim Reprod Sci 2020; 214:106305. [PMID: 32087916 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Scrotal circumference of bulls is correlated with pubertal age of female offspring. Hormonal control of reproductive function is similar in males and females, which may result in genetic correlation among different reproductive traits measured in the two sexes. The estimation of heritability and genetic correlations allows for the computation of direct and correlated genetic gains which are important for predicting of outcomes as a result of genetic-based selection. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and relative efficiency of indirect selection for age at first calving (AFC), stayability (STAY) and scrotal circumference at 365 days of age (SC365) in Nellore cattle. The STAY variable can be defined as the probability of a cow remain in the herd enough time to raise a certain number of calves that pay for her development and maintenance costs. A bivariate Bayesian analysis was used to estimate variance components using a linear-animal model for SC365 and AFC and threshold-linear model for SC365 and STAY and for AFC and STAY. For STAY, the value of 1 was assigned to cows that calved at least three times by 76 months of age; otherwise, the value 0 was assigned. The posteriori means of heritability estimates were 0.29, 0.08 and 0.09 for SC365, AFC and STAY, respectively. Genetic correlations were favorable from a cow productivity perspective between SC365 and AFC, and SC365 and STAY (-0.45 and 0.12, respectively). Indirect selection approaches were more efficient than direct selection for AFC (ERS = 1.87) when animals were selected for SC365.
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15
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Sánchez-Castro MA, Thomas MG, Enns RM, Speidel SE. Stability of genetic predictions for stayability using random regression models that include end points beyond 6 yr of age. Transl Anim Sci 2019; 3:1678-1682. [PMID: 32704935 PMCID: PMC6999146 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txz056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Milton G Thomas
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - R Mark Enns
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Scott E Speidel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
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16
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Snelling WM, Kuehn LA, Thallman RM, Bennett GL, Golden BL. Genetic correlations among weight and cumulative productivity of crossbred beef cows. J Anim Sci 2019; 97:63-77. [PMID: 30371790 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mature weight of beef cows in the United States has been increasing as a correlated response to selection for calf growth. Unfavorable genetic correlations between cow weight and various measures of female fertility, stayability, and lifetime production suggest declining cow productivity might also be expected as a correlated response to growth selection. National cattle evaluations, however, show increasing trends for stayability and sustained fertility. Random regression (RR) models were employed to further examine genetic relationships among cow weight and productivity, and to assess cumulative productivity traits observed throughout cows' productive lives. Records were from 13,707 females born in the Germplasm Evaluation (GPE) project and mated to calve first as 2-yr olds. Weights observed at pregnancy testing (n = 65,086) and calf production from each exposure to breeding (n = 71,583) were included in uni- and bivariate RR analyses. Production following each breeding season was added to previous production to obtain cumulative production records for each season that the female was exposed to breeding. Zero was added if the cow failed to produce after a breeding season. The number of pregnancies, calves born and calves weaned, as well as age and weight of weaned calves, were accumulated. Projected age-specific heritability (h2) estimates for cumulative production were low (<0.1) at age 2 but increased with age (0.12 to 0.26 at age 6; 0.32 to 0.48 at age 10). Estimated h2 for cow weight were high, fluctuating between 0.6 and 0.7 from ages 2 through 10. Genetic correlations (rg) were positive among all ages within each trait. Between ages 3 and 9, estimated rg were negative between cumulative weaning productivity and cow weight. The correlations were usually weak enough (<-0.2) that small correlated declines from following yearling weight trends might be overcome by culling females after their first reproductive failure. More noticeable increases might be realized by selection among sires with EBV based on productivity of several daughters. The RR EBV for cow weight and cumulative weight weaned represent major sources of variation in cow costs and income, and can be incorporated into economic selection indexes to project differences in cow profitability and value at any age. The RR approach utilizes all available records, enabling later productivity to be projected from observations on young cows.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Larry A Kuehn
- USDA, ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE
| | - R Mark Thallman
- USDA, ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE
| | - Gary L Bennett
- USDA, ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE
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Engle BN, Herring AD, Sawyer JE, Riley DG, Sanders JO, Gill CA. Genome-wide association study for stayability measures in Nellore-Angus crossbred cows. J Anim Sci 2018; 96:1205-1214. [PMID: 29669078 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Beef cow stayability is a complex, economically important trait often used as an indicator of a cow's potential lifetime productivity. Stayability is defined as capability of a cow to maintain a perfect record up to 6 yr of age. This age is commonly cited as a financial break-even point, where initial costs of cow development and maintenance are recovered by her cumulative net income from yearly calf receipts. Later-maturing Bos indicus-Bos taurus crossbred cows may experience reproductive difficulty early in life but have a high potential for a long reproductive life span. It was the objective of this study to identify genetic variants associated with measures of beef cow stayability. A population of B. indicus-B. taurus crossbred cows (n = 305) from central Texas was used. Phenotypes for various measures of stayability to 6 yr of age were produced by artificially imposing five different culling criteria on data from the population. Cows were scored either as a 1 (indicating a perfect record through 6 yr) or a 0 (indicating failure at or before 6 yr), under each criterion. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted for each criterion using univariate procedures and prefitting the fixed effect of cow contemporary group. SNP associations for two criteria surpassed the false discovery threshold of 0.15, when a cow was scored as 0 upon her first failure to wean a calf, regardless of reason, through 6 yr (criterion 2), and when a cow was scored as 0 upon her first failure to give birth to a calf, through 6 yr (criterion 3). Associated SNP were found on bovine chromosomes (BTA) 1, 2, 5, 9, 18, and 21 for criterion 2 and on BTA 1, 5, 11, 15, and 24 for criterion 3. A critical region on BTA 5: 43-50 Mb was identified for each criterion. Due to the similarities to prior work, the tendency for B. indicus cattle to experience reproductive difficulties early in life, and due to the large proportion of cows that left the herd at an early age under these criteria, these results suggest that the associations are likely driven by an early life trait such as age at puberty or rate of heifer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey N Engle
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Andy D Herring
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Jason E Sawyer
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - David G Riley
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - James O Sanders
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Clare A Gill
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
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Kluska S, Olivieri BF, Bonamy M, Chiaia HLJ, Feitosa FLB, Berton MP, Peripolli E, Lemos MVA, Tonussi RL, Lôbo RB, Magnabosco CDU, Di Croce F, Osterstock J, Pereira ASC, Munari DP, Bezerra LA, Lopes FB, Baldi F. Estimates of genetic parameters for growth, reproductive, and carcass traits in Nelore cattle using the single step genomic BLUP procedure. Livest Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Speidel SE, Buckley BA, Boldt RJ, Enns RM, Lee J, Spangler ML, Thomas MG. Genome-wide association study of Stayability and Heifer Pregnancy in Red Angus cattle. J Anim Sci 2018; 96:846-853. [PMID: 29471369 PMCID: PMC6093520 DOI: 10.1093/jas/sky041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive performance is the most important component of cattle production from the standpoint of economic sustainability of commercial beef enterprises. Heifer Pregnancy (HPG) and Stayability (STAY) genetic predictions are 2 selection tools published by the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) to assist with improvements in reproductive performance. Given the importance of HPG and STAY to the profitability of commercial beef enterprises, the objective of this study was to identify QTL associated with both HPG and STAY in Red Angus cattle. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using deregressed HPG and STAY EBV, calculated using a single-trait animal model and a 3-generation pedigree with data from the Spring 2015 RAAA National Cattle Evaluation. Each individual animal possessed 74,659 SNP genotypes. Individual animals with a deregressed EBV reliability > 0.05 were merged with the genotype file and marker quality control was performed. Criteria for sifting genotypes consisted of removing those markers where any of the following were found: average call rate less than 0.85, minor allele frequency < 0.01, lack of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.0001), or extreme linkage disequilibrium (r2 > 0.99). These criteria resulted in 2,664 animals with 62,807 SNP available for GWAS. Association studies were performed using a Bayes Cπ model in the BOLT software package. Marker significance was calculated as the posterior probability of inclusion (PPI), or the number of instances a specific marker was sampled divided by the total number of samples retained from the Markov chain Monte Carlo chains. Nine markers, with a PPI ≥ 3% were identified as QTL associated with HPG on BTA 1, 11, 13, 23, and 29. Twelve markers, with a PPI ≥ 75% were identified as QTL associated with STAY on BTA 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 18, 22, and 23.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Speidel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - B A Buckley
- Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI
| | - R J Boldt
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - R M Enns
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
| | - J Lee
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| | - M L Spangler
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| | - M G Thomas
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
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Abstract
Longer-lived cows tend to be more profitable and the stayability trait is a selection criterion correlated to longevity. An alternative to the traditional approach to evaluate stayability is its definition based on consecutive calvings, whose main advantage is the more accurate evaluation of young bulls. However, no study using this alternative approach has been conducted for Zebu breeds. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare linear random regression models to fit stayability to consecutive calvings of Guzerá, Nelore and Tabapuã cows and to estimate genetic parameters for this trait in the respective breeds. Data up to the eighth calving were used. The models included the fixed effects of age at first calving and year-season of birth of the cow and the random effects of contemporary group, additive genetic, permanent environmental and residual. Random regressions were modeled by orthogonal Legendre polynomials of order 1 to 4 (2 to 5 coefficients) for contemporary group, additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. Using Deviance Information Criterion as the selection criterion, the model with 4 regression coefficients for each effect was the most adequate for the Nelore and Tabapuã breeds and the model with 5 coefficients is recommended for the Guzerá breed. For Guzerá, heritabilities ranged from 0.05 to 0.08, showing a quadratic trend with a peak between the fourth and sixth calving. For the Nelore and Tabapuã breeds, the estimates ranged from 0.03 to 0.07 and from 0.03 to 0.08, respectively, and increased with increasing calving number. The additive genetic correlations exhibited a similar trend among breeds and were higher for stayability between closer calvings. Even between more distant calvings (second v. eighth), stayability showed a moderate to high genetic correlation, which was 0.77, 0.57 and 0.79 for the Guzerá, Nelore and Tabapuã breeds, respectively. For Guzerá, when the models with 4 or 5 regression coefficients were compared, the rank correlations between predicted breeding values for the intercept were always higher than 0.99, indicating the possibility of practical application of the least parameterized model. In conclusion, the model with 4 random regression coefficients is recommended for the genetic evaluation of stayability to consecutive calvings in Zebu cattle.
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Barreto Amaral Teixeira D, Alves Fernandes Júnior G, Beraldo dos Santos Silva D, Bermal Costa R, Takada L, Gustavo Mansan Gordo D, Bresolin T, Carvalheiro R, Baldi F, Galvão de Albuquerque L. Genomic analysis of stayability in Nellore cattle. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179076. [PMID: 28591167 PMCID: PMC5462402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Stayability, which can be defined as the probability of a cow calving at a certain age when given the opportunity, is an important reproductive trait in beef cattle because it is directly related to herd profitability. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and to identify possible genomic regions associated with the phenotypic expression of stayability in Nellore cows. The variance components were estimated by Bayesian inference using a threshold animal model that included the systematic effects of contemporary group and sexual precocity and the random effects of animal and residual. The SNP effects were estimated by the single-step genomic BLUP method using information of 2,838 animals (2,020 females and 930 sires) genotyped with the Illumina High-Density BeadChip Array (San Diego, CA, USA). The variance explained by windows formed by 200 consecutive SNPs was used to identify genomic regions of largest effect on the expression of stayability. The heritability was 0.11 ± 0.01 when A matrix (pedigree) was used and 0.14 ± 0.01 when H matrix (relationship matrix that combines pedigree information and SNP data) was used. A total of 147 candidate genes for stayability were identified on chromosomes 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 and 20 and on the X chromosome. New candidate regions for stayability were detected, most of them related to reproductive, immunological and central nervous system functions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Luciana Takada
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Tiago Bresolin
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberto Carvalheiro
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- CNPq Fellowship, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Fernando Baldi
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- CNPq Fellowship, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Lucia Galvão de Albuquerque
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
- CNPq Fellowship, Brasília, DF, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Cziszter LT, Ilie DE, Neamt RI, Neciu FC, Saplacan SI, Gavojdian D. Comparative study on production, reproduction and functional traits between Fleckvieh and Braunvieh cattle. ASIAN-AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCES 2016; 30:666-671. [PMID: 27857028 PMCID: PMC5411826 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.16.0588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Objective Aim of the current comparative study was to evaluate production outputs, reproduction efficiency and functional traits in dual-purpose Fleckvieh and Braunvieh cows, reared under temperate European conditions. Methods A data-set from 414 Fleckvieh and 42 Braunvieh cows and 799 lactations was analysed. ID tag number, milk yield per milking session, number of steps/interval and milk conductivity were recorded and collected daily using AfiMilk 3.076 A-DU software (Afimilk Ltd., Kibbutz, Israel). Production and milk quality data were taken from the results of the official performance recordings and the reproductive outputs of cows were recorded by the research stations veterinarians. Comparisons between the two genotypes were carried out using the one way analysis of variance protocol, with categorical factor being considered the breed of cows. All the statistical inferences were carried out using Statistica software (StatSoft Inc., Tulsa, OK, USA). Results Fleckvieh cows significantly outperformed (p≤0.05) the Braunvieh herd, with average milk yields of 5,252.1±35.79 kg and 4,897.6±128.94 kg, respectively. Age at first calving was significantly (p≤0.01) influenced by the breed, with Fleckvieh heifers being more precocious (32.8±0.29 mo) compared to those of Braunvieh breed (35.7±0.84 mo). Reproduction efficiency as defined by the number of inseminations per gestation, calving interval, dystocia, days dry and days open, was not influenced by genotype (p>0.05). Incidences of sub-clinical mastitis, clinical mastitis, lameness and abortions were not influenced by the breed factor (p>0.05). Stayability of cows was significantly (p≤0.001) influenced by genotype, with Braunvieh cows having an average age at culling of 117.88±11.78 months compared to 90.88±2.89 months in Fleckvieh. Conclusion Overall, results have shown that genotype significantly influenced milk yield, age at first calving and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic-Toma Cziszter
- Research and Development Station for Bovine Arad, Academy for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Arad 310059, Romania.,Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine 'King Michael I' from Timişoara, Timisoara 300645, Romania
| | - Daniela-Elena Ilie
- Research and Development Station for Bovine Arad, Academy for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Arad 310059, Romania
| | - Radu-Ionel Neamt
- Research and Development Station for Bovine Arad, Academy for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Arad 310059, Romania
| | - Florin-Cristian Neciu
- Research and Development Station for Bovine Arad, Academy for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Arad 310059, Romania
| | - Silviu-Ilie Saplacan
- Research and Development Station for Bovine Arad, Academy for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Arad 310059, Romania
| | - Dinu Gavojdian
- Research and Development Station for Bovine Arad, Academy for Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Arad 310059, Romania
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Roberts AJ, Petersen MK, Funston RN. BEEF SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Can we build the cowherd by increasing longevity of females? J Anim Sci 2016; 93:4235-43. [PMID: 26440322 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2014-8811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing longevity of beef cows by decreasing the proportion culled due to reproductive failure provides an efficient process to rebuild a cow herd and can reduce number of replacements needed to sustain a constant herd size. Rate of reproductive failure varies due to cow age, where failure in cows 2 to 4 yr of age is often greater than in cows 5 to 7 yr of age. In addition, BW of cow and calf at weaning increase as cows advance from 2 to 5 yr of age. The cumulative effect of increasing retention of young cows is improved production efficiency through decreased replacement rate and changing age structure of the herd resulting in a greater proportion of cows at maximal production potential for calf BW at weaning and cow BW at time of culling. Calculations from cow age-specific culling and BW data from commercial and research herds indicated that reducing replacement rate from 18% to 14% resulted in a 23% increase in calf BW weaned and a 2% increase in cull cow BW per pregnant replacement heifer going into the herd. Although improving longevity increases production efficiency, genetic advancement in sustained reproductive function is challenging, as it is the sequential culmination of the annual repetition of numerous discrete physiological processes, each ending in a qualitative response. Successful completion of one process is prerequisite to evaluating subsequent processes. These physiological processes are subject to nutritional threshold requirements that may vary due to genetic potential for other production traits such as milk, growth, and mature size resulting in genetic-by-nutrition interactions. This is in contrast to most traits for which EPD exist, where genetic-by-environment interactions are not considered to be significant. Extensive research concerning impact of limited nutrition on reproduction has led to recommendations that heifers and cows be fed to a threshold BW or BCS to ensure reproductive success; a process that masks nutritional interactions that might otherwise result in reproductive failure. This management approach minimizes selection for animals capable of sustained reproductive function under limited nutritional environments. Rearing and managing cows under nutritionally limited environments may lead to adaptations that result in relatively high levels of reproductive success under lower input levels. Such adaptation may improve chances for longer retention in their offspring in nutrient-limited environments.
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Mair C, Stear M, Johnson P, Denwood M, Jimenez de Cisneros JP, Stefan T, Matthews L. A Bayesian generalized random regression model for estimating heritability using overdispersed count data. Genet Sel Evol 2015; 47:51. [PMID: 26092676 PMCID: PMC4473853 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-015-0125-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Faecal egg counts are a common indicator of nematode infection and since it is a heritable trait, it provides a marker for selective breeding. However, since resistance to disease changes as the adaptive immune system develops, quantifying temporal changes in heritability could help improve selective breeding programs. Faecal egg counts can be extremely skewed and difficult to handle statistically. Therefore, previous heritability analyses have log transformed faecal egg counts to estimate heritability on a latent scale. However, such transformations may not always be appropriate. In addition, analyses of faecal egg counts have typically used univariate rather than multivariate analyses such as random regression that are appropriate when traits are correlated. We present a method for estimating the heritability of untransformed faecal egg counts over the grazing season using random regression. Results Replicating standard univariate analyses, we showed the dependence of heritability estimates on choice of transformation. Then, using a multitrait model, we exposed temporal correlations, highlighting the need for a random regression approach. Since random regression can sometimes involve the estimation of more parameters than observations or result in computationally intractable problems, we chose to investigate reduced rank random regression. Using standard software (WOMBAT), we discuss the estimation of variance components for log transformed data using both full and reduced rank analyses. Then, we modelled the untransformed data assuming it to be negative binomially distributed and used Metropolis Hastings to fit a generalized reduced rank random regression model with an additive genetic, permanent environmental and maternal effect. These three variance components explained more than 80 % of the total phenotypic variation, whereas the variance components for the log transformed data accounted for considerably less. The heritability, on a link scale, increased from around 0.25 at the beginning of the grazing season to around 0.4 at the end. Conclusions Random regressions are a useful tool for quantifying sources of variation across time. Our MCMC (Markov chain Monte Carlo) algorithm provides a flexible approach to fitting random regression models to non-normal data. Here we applied the algorithm to negative binomially distributed faecal egg count data, but this method is readily applicable to other types of overdispersed data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette Mair
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G611QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Michael Stear
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G611QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Paul Johnson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G611QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Matthew Denwood
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Joaquin Prada Jimenez de Cisneros
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G611QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Thorsten Stefan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G611QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Louise Matthews
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G611QH, UK. .,The Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
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van Pelt M, Meuwissen T, de Jong G, Veerkamp R. Genetic analysis of longevity in Dutch dairy cattle using random regression. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:4117-30. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-9090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Abstract
In order to achieve improvements in production efficiency in livestock, herds of high sexual precocity and good fertility are needed. These traits increase the availability of animals in herd, either for sale or selection, allowing both greater selective intensity and greater genetic progress. This study aimed at estimating genetic parameters for reproductive traits measured directly in females in order to verify whether they could be used as selection criteria for genetic improvement in Nellore cows, as well as estimating the genetic relationship among these traits and scrotal circumference (SC), the traditional selection criterion for sexual precocity in cattle. In addition to SC, stayability (STAY), number of calvings at 53 months (NC53) and heifers rebreeding (HR) were studied. The (co)variances and genetic parameters were estimated using Bayesian inference. STAY, NC53 and HR were analyzed assuming a threshold model, whereas SC was analyzed with a linear model. Heritability estimated for NC53 was 0.22, and this trait was strongly and positively correlated with STAY, meaning selection for NC53 would improve productive longevity of Nellore cows. Correlations estimated between HR and STAY (≈0.97) and between HR and NC53 (≈0.99) allow an improvement on HR rates if selection was applied to traits related to longevity. Genetic correlations among SC and female reproductive traits were positive but weak, suggesting the need to use reproductive traits directly measured in females in order to obtain greater improvements in sexual precocity and longevity.
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