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Research Project: IMPROVING GENETIC PREDICTION OF ECONOMIC MERIT OF DAIRY ANIMALS

Location: Animal Improvement Programs

Title: GENETIC CALVING EASE STUDY ON CROSSBREDS

Authors
item Cole, John
item Goodling, R - PENN STATE EXTENSION
item Wiggans, George
item Vanraden, Paul

Submitted to: Jersey Journal
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: February 27, 2006
Publication Date: March 15, 2006
Citation: Cole, J.B., Goodling, R.C., Wiggans, G.R., Van Raden, P.M. 2006. Genetic calving ease study on crossbreds. Jersey Journal. 53(3):83-84.

Interpretive Summary: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementing routine national calving ease genetic evaluations of Brown Swiss and Jersey sires that include records of crossbred calvings. Records were available for 11,793 Brown Swiss calvings, 3,431 Brown Swiss-sired crosses, 65,293 Jersey calvings and 7,090 Jersey-sired crosses. Results show that Jersey cows had very little calving difficulty and Jersey bulls had a very small range of evaluations. This suggests that a routine Jersey evaluation would be of little value to Jersey producers because differences amont sires are very small.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementing routine national calving ease genetic evaluations of Brown Swiss and Jersey sires that include records of crossbred calvings. Records were available for 11,793 Brown Swiss calvings, 3,431 Brown Swiss-sired crosses, 65,293 Jersey calvings and 7,090 Jersey-sired crosses. Results show that Jersey cows had very little calving difficulty and Jersey bulls had a very small range of evaluations. This suggests that a routine Jersey evaluation would be of little value to Jersey producers because differences amont sires are very small.

   

 
Project Team
Norman, H - Duane
Van Tassell, Curtis - Curt
Vanraden, Paul
Wiggans, George
Cole, John
 
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Related National Programs
  Food Animal Production (101)
 
 
Last Modified: 11/05/2008
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