Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T14:28:48.180Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

MOET results from a dispersed hybrid nucleus programme in dairy cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2016

M. M. Lohuis ,
C. Smith  and
J. C. M. Dekkers
M. M. Lohuis
Affiliation:
Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
C. Smith
Affiliation:
Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
J. C. M. Dekkers
Affiliation:
Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Get access

Abstract

A dispersed hybrid MOET nucleus project was implemented in the Canadian dairy industry. Embryo yield, pregnancy rate, and effects of management and selection practices are reported. Repeatability of viable embryo yield was 0.31. Average viable embryo yield was 6.85 (s.e. 5.35) embryos per collection, with average pregnancy rates of 0.58, 0.46 and 0.51 for grade 1 fresh, frozen, and split embryos, respectively. Of the donors selected, 80% produced enough embryos to form a family of at least 15 offspring. Based on observed results, expectations of family size and structure and generation intervals were calculated. Only 10% of completed families are expected to result in less than three milking daughters. Generation interval for sib-tested sires was 58 months of age under practical field conditions, which was shorter by a factor of 0.19 than a traditional progeny test but longer than original theoretical estimates by a factor of 0.32. Realized selection intensities for a total merit index were 2.22 for sires and 3.77 for dams of embryos. Accuracies of selection for sires and dams were 0.93 and 0.73 respectively. To improve the scheme, use of more fresh embryos, embryo splitting and less delay in transferring frozen embryos are recommended.

Keywords

breeding programmesdairy cattleMOETprogeny testing
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 57 , Issue 3 , December 1993 , pp. 369 - 378
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Armstrong, D. T., Holme, P., Irvine, B., Petersen, B. A. and Stubbings, R. B. 1992. Pregnancies and live births from in vitro fertilization of calf oocytes collected by Iaparoscopic follicular aspiration. Theriogenology 38:667–678.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blom, G. 1958. Statistical estimates and transformed beta variables. John Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Burnside, E. B., Jansen, G. B., Civati, G. and Dadati, E. 1992. Observed and theoretical genetic trends in a large dairy population under intensive selection. Journal of Dairy Science 75:2242–2253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christensen, L. G. 1984. Breeding problems in small cattle populations. Proceedings of the thirty fifth meeting of European Association of Animal Production, The Hague.Google Scholar
Coleman, D. A., Dailey, R. A., Leffel, R. E. and Baker, R. D. 1987. Oestrus synchronization and establishment of pregnancy in bovine embryo transfer recipients. Journal of Dairy Science 70:858–866.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colleau, J. J. 1985. Genetic improvement by ET within selection nuclei in dairy cattle. Génétique, Sélection, Evolution 17:499–538.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elsden, R. P., Nelson, L. D. and Seidel, G. E. 1978. Superovulating cows with follicle stimulating hormone and pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin. Theriogenology 9: 17–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falconer, D. S. 1989. Introduction to quantitative genetics. 3rd ed. Longman, London.Google Scholar
Fehilly, C. B. and Willadsen, S. M. 1986. Embryo manipulation in farm animals. In Oxford review of reproductive biology, vol. 8 (ed. Clarke, J. R.), pp. 379–413. Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Hasler, J. F. 1992. Current status and potential of embryo transfer and reproductive technology in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 75:2857–2879.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hasler, J. F., McCauley, A. D., Lathrop, W. F. and Foote, R. H. 1987. Effect of donor-embryo-recipient interactions on pregnancy rate in a large-scale bovine embryo transfer program. Theriogenology 27:139–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keller, D. S., Gearheart, W. W. and Smith, C. 1990. A comparison of factors reducing selection response in closed nucleus breeding schemes. Journal of Animal Science 68: 1553–1561.Google Scholar
Leibfried-Rutledge, M. L., Critser, E. S., Parrish, J. J. and First, N. L. 1989. In vitro maturation and fertilization of bovine oocytes. Journal of Theriogenology 31:61–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibo, S. P. 1992. Techniques for preservation of mammalian germ plasm. Animal Biotechnology 3:139–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leitch, H. W. 1991. Efficiency of breed improvement. Holstein Journal 54: (5), 44–46.Google Scholar
Leitch, H. W., Smith, C., Burnside, E. B. and Quinton, M. 1993. Genetic response and inbreeding with different selection methods and mating designs for dairy nucleus breeding programs. Journal of Dairy Science In press.Google Scholar
Lohuis, M. M., Dekkers, J. C. M., Smith, C. and Schaeffer, L. R. 1993. The effect of continuous genetic evaluation on genetic response in progeny test programs. Proceedings of the symposium on continuous evaluation in dairy cattle, College Park, Maryland.Google Scholar
Lohuis, M. M., Dekkers, J. C. M. and Smith, C. 1994. Genetic response from optimised dispersed hybrid MOET nucleus schemes in dairy cattle. Animal Production In press.Google Scholar
McCullagh, P. and Nelder, J. A. 1989. Generalized linear models. 2nd ed. Chapman and Hall, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mazur, P. 1990. Equilibrium, quasi-equilibrium and non-equilibrium freezing of mammalian embryos. Cell Biophysics 17: 53–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meuwissen, T. H. E. 1990. Effects of an increased female reproductive rate on the optimisation of dairy cattle breeding plans. Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Animal Breeding, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Meyer, K. 1985. Maximum likelihood estimation for variance components for a multivariate mixed model with equal design matrices. Biometrics 41:153–165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Misztal, I., Lawlor, T. J. and Short, T. H. 1991. Continuous genetic evaluation of Holsteins for type. Journal of Dairy Science 74:2001–2009.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nicholas, F. W. 1979. The genetic implications of multiple ovulation and embryo transfer in small dairy herds. Proceedings of the thirtieth meeting of the European Association of Animal Production, Harrogate, England.Google Scholar
Nicholas, F. W. and Smith, C. 1983. Increased rates of genetic change in dairy cattle by embryo transfer and splitting. Animal Production 36: 341–353.Google Scholar
Pettit, W. H. 1985. Commercial freezing of bovine embryos in glass ampules. Theriogenology 23:13–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shea, B. F., Janzen, R. E., McAlister, R. J. and McDermand, D. P. 1983. Freezing of bovine embryos: effects of embryo quality, time from thawing to transfer and number frozen per vial. Theriogenology 20:205–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slenning, B. D. and Wheeler, M. B. 1989. Risk evaluation for bovine embryo transfer services using computer simulation and economic decision theory. Theriogenology 31: 653–673.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, C. 1984. Rates of genetic change in farm livestock. Research and Development in Agriculture 1: 79–85.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1988. SAS/STAT user's guide, release 6.03, pp. 189–282. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1991. SAS/STAT user's guide, release 6.07, pp. 289–366. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Stringfellow, D. A. and Seidel, S. M. 1990. Manual of the International Embryo Transfer Society. IETS, Champaign, IL.Google Scholar
Thompson, R. 1982. Methods of estimation of genetic parameters. Proceedings of the second world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, vol. 5, pp. 95–103.Google Scholar
Woolliams, J. A. and Smith, C. 1988. The value of indicator traits in the genetic improvement of dairy cattle. Animal Production 46: 333–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, J. M. 1985. Commercial freezing of bovine embryos in straws. Theriogenology 23:17–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar