Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T13:06:38.686Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimation of genetic parameters for young stock survival in beef x dairy crossbred calves

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2019

R. B. Davis ,
E. Norberg  and
A. Fogh
R. B. Davis*
Affiliation:
SEGES, Danish Milk and Beef Research Centre, Agro Food Park 15, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, Tjele 8830, Denmark
E. Norberg
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, Tjele 8830, Denmark Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Arboretveien 6, Ås 1432, Norway
A. Fogh
Affiliation:
SEGES, Danish Milk and Beef Research Centre, Agro Food Park 15, Aarhus N 8200, Denmark
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Young stock survival is a trait of crucial importance in cattle breeding as calf mortality leads to economic losses and represents an animal welfare issue. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and sire breeding values for young stock survival in beef x dairy crossbred calves. Two traits were analysed with a univariate animal model: young stock survival between 1 to 30 days and 31 to 200 days after birth. Breed combinations with Belgian Blue sires outperformed all other sire breeds. The lowest survival rates were found for breed combinations with Jersey dams or Blonde d’Aquitaine sires. The results showed low but significant heritabilities (0.045 to 0.075) for both survival traits. Differences in breeding values between sires ranged from −2.5% to 3.5% and from −5.4% to 4.7% survival from 1 to 30 days and 31 to 200 days, respectively. Based on these findings, we concluded that it is feasible to breed for improved young stock survival in beef x dairy crossbred calves. This will hopefully contribute to increasing the survival rate of the calves and reduce economic losses for the farmers.

Keywords

calf mortalitybeef x dairy crossbreedingveal productiongenetic parameterspost-natal survival
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , March 2020 , pp. 445 - 451
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2019 

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

Agerholm, JS, Basse, A, Krogh, HV, Christensen, K and Ronsholt, L 1993. Abortion and calf mortality in Danish cattle herds. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 34, 371–377.Google ScholarPubMed
Buch, LH 2012. Genetiske muligheder for at nedbringe ungdyrdødeligheden. Report from project 2143, Danish Agriculture & Food Council F.m.b.A., Skejby, Denmark.Google Scholar
Carlén, E, Pedersen, J, Pösö, J, Eriksson, J, Nielsen, US and Aamand, GP 2016. Youngstock survival in Nordic cattle genetic evaluation. In Interbull bulletin no. 50: Proceedings of the 2016 Interbull Meeting, 24–28 October 2016, Puerto Varas, Chile, pp. 80–84.Google Scholar
Cundiff, L, MacNeil, M, Gregory, K and Koch, R 1986. Between- and within-breed genetic analysis of calving traits and survival to weaning in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 63, 27–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dal Zotto, R, Penasa, M, De Marchi, M, Cassandro, M, Lopez-Villalobos, N and Bittante, G 2009. Use of crossbreeding with beef bulls in dairy herds: effect on age, body weight, price, and market value of calves sold at livestock auctions. Journal of Animal Science 87, 3053–3059.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Danish Agriculture & Food Council F.m.b.A. 2016. Kødårsstatistik. Danish Agriculture & Food Council F.m.b.A., Skejby, Denmark.Google Scholar
Dempster, ER and Lerner, IM 1950. Heritability of threshhold characters. Genetics 35, 212–236.Google Scholar
Erf, D, Hansen, L and Neitzel, R 1990. Inheritance of calf mortality for Brown Swiss cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 73, 1130–1134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fogh, A 2005. Beregning af indekser for kødkvæg. Danish Agriculture & Food Council F.m.b.A., Skejby, Denmark.Google Scholar
Fogh, A 2016. Description of the X-index. Danish Agriculture & Food Council F.m.b.A., Skejby, Denmark.Google Scholar
Fuerst-Waltl, B and Sørensen, MK 2010. Genetic analysis of calf and heifer losses in Danish Holstein. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 5436–5442.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, M, Madsen, P, Jensen, J, Pedersen, J and Christensen, LG 2003. Genetic parameters of postnatal mortality in Danish Holstein calves. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 1807–1817.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heringstad, B, Chang, Y, Gianola, D and Klemetsdal, G 2005. Genetic analysis of clinical mastitis, milk fever, ketosis, and retained placenta in three lactations of Norwegian red cows. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3273–3281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madsen, P and Jensen, J 2008. A user’s guide to DMU. A package for analyzing multivariate mixed models. Version 6. Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark.Google Scholar
Norberg, E, Pryce, J and Pedersen, J 2013. Short communication: a genetic study of mortality in Danish Jersey heifer calves. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 4026–4030.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Østerårs, O, Gjestvang, MS, Vatn, S and Sølverød, L 2007. Perinatal death in production animals in the Nordic countries – incidence and costs. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 49, 14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raundal, P 2017. Kalvedødelighed i Danmark. Retrieved on 13 March 2017 from https://www.landbrugsinfo.dk/Kvaeg/Tal-om-kvaeg/Sider/pif001tabel11.aspxGoogle Scholar
van Pelt, M, Eding, H, Vessies, P and De Jong, G 2012. Developing a genetic evaluation for calf survival during rearing in The Netherlands. In Interbull Bulletin 46, 28–31 May 2012, Cork, Ireland, pp. 61–65.Google Scholar
Van Vleck, L 1972. Estimation of heritability of threshold characters. Journal of Dairy Science 55, 218–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weller, J, Misztal, I and Gianola, D 1988. Genetic analysis of dystocia and calf mortality in Israeli-Holsteins by threshold and linear models. Journal of Dairy Science 71, 2491–2501.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed