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Repeatability and bias of estimated breeding values for dairy bulls and bull dams calculated from animal model evaluations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. Uimari  and
E. A. Mäntysaari
P. Uimari
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding, Agricultural Research Centre, SF-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
E. A. Mäntysaari
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding, Agricultural Research Centre, SF-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
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Abstract

An animal model and an approximative method for calculating repeatabilities of estimated breeding values are used in Finnish dairy cow evaluation. Changes in estimated breeding values over time as daughters accumulate were studied. Special emphasis was given to the accuracy and potential bias in the pedigree indices of young sires. The data set used was the same as in the national evaluation and the traits investigated were protein yield and somatic cell count. The average repeatability in evaluation of bulls without daughters was 0·37. The empirical repeatability defined as a squared correlation between the pedigree index and the final sire proof was only 0·15. The reduction in the repeatability was attributed to the selection on pedigree index. The upward bias observed in pedigree indices was 5 kg (approx. 0·3 of genetic standard deviation). The bias was caused by the overestimation of bull dams' breeding value. Also the proofs of bull sires increased after the second crop of daughters. The correlation between the evaluations of the same sire calculated from two separate equal size daughter groups was 0·91 when the bull had 10 to 50 daughters and 0·87 with over 100 daughters. This illustrates how the relative weight of the pedigree decreases while more progeny information is accumulated in the evaluation.

Keywords

dairy cattlemilk protein yieldrepeatabilitysire evaluation
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 57 , Issue 2 , October 1993 , pp. 175 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1993

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