ORIGINAL PAPER
Analysis of fertility in Simmental cattle – genetic and environmental effects on female fertility
More details
Hide details
1
University of Agriculture in Krakow, Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding and Ethology, al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
2
National Research Institute of Animal Production, ul. Krakowska 1, 32-083 Balice, Poland
Publication date: 2024-01-31
Corresponding author
A. Otwinowska-Mindur
University of Agriculture in Krakow, Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding and Ethology,
al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2024;33(2):235-242
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The objectives of the study were to estimate genetic parameters
for some fertility traits and to evaluate the effects of month of calving, first
calving year, and age at first calving on four fertility traits of Polish Simmental
cows. Lactation records from the first two lactations of 2 413 Simmental cows
were analysed. The data came from the Polish National Recording System
(SYMLEK), made available by the Polish Federation of Cattle Breeders and
Dairy Farmers. The cows, born between 1995 and 2016, were daughters of 335
sires. The analysed parameters were interval from first service to conception
for heifers (IFSh) and for cows in second parity (IFS2), interval from first calving
to first insemination (CTFI) and days open (DO). The BLUPf90 package and
a Bayesian method via Gibbs sampling were used to estimate (co)variance
components. Mean IFSh was approx. 14 days and mean IFS2 was more than 26
days. Average length of CTFI was approx. 80 days, and of DO approx. 106 days.
All heritabilities were low and ranged from 0.041 (CTFI) to 0.104 (IFS2). Genetic
correlations were moderate to high, with two exceptions: the correlation of IFS2
with CTFI (0.186) and with IFSh (−0.284). IFSh was highly genetically correlated
with CTFI, IFS2 and DO. It is recommended to supplement the selection index
with interval from first service to conception for both heifers and cows in second
parity, to enable effective improvement of female fertility scores in the Simmental
population in Poland.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was financed by the Ministry of
Science and Higher Education of the Republic of
Poland (funds for statutory activity, SUB.020012-D015).
We would like to thank prof. Wojciech Jagusiak
for his valuable comments and suggestions.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that there is no conflict of
interest.
REFERENCES (31)
1.
Abe H., Masuda Y., Suzuki M., 2009. Relationships between reproductive traits of heifers and cows and yield traits for Holsteins in Japan. J. Dairy Sci. 92, 4055–4062,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
2.
Brzáková M., Zavadilová L., Přibyl J., Pešek P., Kašná E., Kranjčevičová A., 2019. Estimation of genetic parameters for female fertility traits in the Czech Holstein population. Czech J. Anim. Sci. 64, 199–206,
https://doi.org/10.17221/51/20....
3.
Buaban S., Duangjinda M., Suzuki M., Masuda Y., Sanpote J., Kuchida K., 2015. Short communication: Genetic analysis for fertility traits of heifers and cows from smallholder dairy farms in a tropical environment. J. Dairy Sci. 98, 4990–4998,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
4.
Bujko J., Candrák J., Strapák P., Žitný J., Hrnčár C., 2018. Evaluation of reproduction traits in selected breeding herds of Slovak Simmental dairy cows by breeding type. Anim. Sci. Biotechnol. 51, 40–44.
5.
González-Recio O., Alenda R., Chang Y.M., Weigel K.A., Gianola D., 2006. Selection for female fertility using censored fertility traits and investigation of the relationship with milk production.J. Dairy Sci. 89, 4438–4444,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0....
6.
Guo, G., Guo, X., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Zhang, S., Li, X., Liu, L., Shi, W., Usman, T., Wang, X., Du, L. and Zhang, Q., 2014. Estimation of genetic parameters of fertility traits in Chinese Holstein cattle. Canad. J. Anim. Sci. 94, 281–285,
https://doi.org/10.4141/cjas20....
7.
Hayes J.F., Cue R.I., Monardes H.G., 1992. Estimates of repeatability of reproductive measures in Canadian Holsteins. J. Dairy Sci. 75, 1701–1706,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0....
10.
Jagusiak W., Zarnecki A., 2006. Genetic evaluation for fertility traits in Polish Holsteins. Interbull Bulletin 35, 37–37.
11.
Jamrozik J., Fatehi J., Kistemaker G.J., Schaeffer L.R., 2005. Estimates of genetic parameters for Canadian Holstein female reproduction traits. J. Dairy Sci. 88, 2199–2208,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0....
12.
Jaśkowski J.M., Olechnowicz J., Nowak W., 2006. Several reasons for decreasing fertility in dairy cows (in Polish). Med. Wet. 62, 385–389.
13.
Kadarmideen H.N., Thompson R., Coffey M.P., Kossaibati M.A., 2003. Genetic parameters and evaluations from single- and multiple-trait analysis of dairy cow fertility and milk production. Livestock Prod. Sci. 81, 183–195,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-....
15.
Martinez-Castillero M., Toledo-Alvarado H., Pegolo S., Vazquez A.I., de Los Campos G., Varona L., Cecchinato A., 2020. Genetic parameters for fertility traits assessed in herds divergent in milk energy output in Holstein-Friesian, Brown Swiss, and Simmental cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 103, 11545–11558,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
16.
Miglior F., Fleming A., Malchiodi F., Brito L.F., Martin P., Baes C.F., 2017. A 100-Year Review: Identification and genetic selection of economically important traits in dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 100, 10251–10271,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
18.
Muuttoranta K., Tyrisevä A.M., Mäntysaari E.A., Pösö J., Aamand G.P., Lidauer M.H., 2019. Genetic parameters for female fertility in Nordic Holstein and Red Cattle dairy breeds. J. Dairy Sci. 102, 8184–8196,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
19.
Otwinowska-Mindur A., Ptak E., Jagusiak W., Zarnecki A., 2022. Estimation of genetic parameters for female fertility traits in the Polish Holstein-Friesian Population. Animals 12,
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani121....
21.
R Core Team, 2022. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Retrieved on 5 January 2023 from
https://www.R-project.org/.
22.
Rzewuska K., Strabel T., 2015. The genetic relationship between reproduction traits and milk urea concentration. Anim. Sci. Pap. Rep. 33, 243–256.
23.
Sung M.K., Lee S.C., Jeong J.K., Choi I.S, Moon S.H. Kang H.G., Kim I.H., 2016. Effect of age at first calving on productive and reproductive performance in dairy cattle. J. Vet. Clin. 33, 93–96,
https://doi.org/10.17555/jvc.2....
24.
Toledo-Alvarado H., Cecchinato A., Bittante G., 2017. Fertility traits of Holstein, Brown Swiss, Simmental, and Alpine Grey cows are differently affected by herd productivity and milk yield of individual cows. J. Dairy Sci. 100, 8220–8231,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
25.
VIT, 2023. Estimation of breeding values for milk production traits, somatic cell score, conformation, productive life and reproduction traits in German dairy cattle. Retrieved on 15 June 2023 from
https://www.vit.de/fileadmin/D....
26.
Wathes D.C., Brickell J.S., Bourne N.E., Swali A., Cheng Z., 2008. Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms. Animal 2, 1135–1143,
https://doi.org/10.1017/S17517....
27.
Wathes D.C., Pollott G.E., Johnson K.F., Richardson H., Cooke J.S., 2014. Heifer fertility and carry over consequences for life time production in dairy and beef cattle. Animal Suppl. 1, 91–104,
https://doi.org/10.1017/S17517....
28.
Windig J.J., Calus M.P.L., Veerkamp R.F., 2005. Influence of herd environment on health and fertility and their relationship with milk production. J. Dairy Sci. 88, 335–347,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0....
30.
Zink V., Štípková M., Lassen J., 2011. Genetic parameters for female fertility, locomotion, body condition score, and linear type traits in Czech Holstein cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 94, 5176–5182,
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.20....
31.
Zink V., Lassen J., Štípková M., 2012. Genetic parameters for female fertility and milk production traits in first-parity Czech Holstein cows. Czech J. Anim. Sci. 57, 108–114,
https://doi.org/10.17221/5562-....