Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T01:01:42.890Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetics of milking characteristics in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2013

D. P. Berry ,
J. Coyne ,
B. Coughlan ,
M. Burke ,
J. McCarthy ,
B. Enright ,
A. R. Cromie  and
S. McParland
D. P. Berry*
Affiliation:
Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Co. Cork, Ireland
J. Coyne
Affiliation:
Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Co. Cork, Ireland
B. Coughlan
Affiliation:
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Bandon, Co. Cork, Ireland
M. Burke
Affiliation:
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Bandon, Co. Cork, Ireland
J. McCarthy
Affiliation:
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Bandon, Co. Cork, Ireland
B. Enright
Affiliation:
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Bandon, Co. Cork, Ireland
A. R. Cromie
Affiliation:
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Bandon, Co. Cork, Ireland
S. McParland
Affiliation:
Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Co. Cork, Ireland
*
†E-mail: Donagh.berry@teagasc.ie
Get access

Abstract

Genetic selection for milking speed is feasible. The existence of a correlation structure between milking speed and milk yield, however, necessitates a selection strategy to increase milking speed with no repercussion on genetic merit for milk yield. Residual milking duration (RMD) and residual milking duration including somatic cell score (RMDS), defined as the residuals from a regression model of milking duration on milk yield or milk yield plus somatic cell score (SCS) have been advocated. The objective of this study was to undertake a first ever genetic analysis of these novel traits. Data on electronically recorded milking duration and other milking characteristics from 235 005 test-day records on 74 608 cows in 1075 Irish dairy herds were available. Variance components for the milking characteristic traits were estimated using animal linear mixed models and covariances with other performance traits, including udder-related type traits, were estimated using sire models. The heritability of milking duration, RMD and RMDS was 0.20, 0.22 and 0.18, respectively. There were little differences in the heritability of RMD or RMDS when defined using genetic regression. The genetic standard deviation of RMDS defined on the phenotypic or genetic level was 36.8 s and 37.6 s, respectively, clearly indicating considerable exploitable genetic variation in milking duration independent of both milk yield and SCS. The genetic correlation between phenotypically derived RMDS and milk yield was favourable (−0.43), but RMDS was unfavourably genetically correlated with SCS (−0.30); the genetic correlations with both traits when RMDS was defined at a genetic level were zero. RMDS defined at the phenotypic level was negatively (i.e. unfavourable) genetically correlated (−0.35; s.e. = 0.15) with mastitis; however, when defined using genetic regression, shorter RMDS was not associated with greater expected incidence of mastitis. RMDS, defined at the genetic level, is a useful heritable trait with ample genetic variation for inclusion in a national breeding strategy without influencing genetic gain in either milk yield or udder health.

Keywords

milk flowgeneticmilking durationheritability dairy
Type
Breeding and genetics
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 11 , November 2013 , pp. 1750 - 1758
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2013 

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

Berry, DP, McCarthy, J 2012. Genetic and non-genetic factors associated with milking order in lactating dairy cows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 136, 15–19.Google Scholar
Berry, DP, Burke, M, O'Keeffe, M, O'Connor, P 2006. Do-it-yourself milk recording as a viable alternative to supervised milk recording in Ireland. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 45, 1–12.Google Scholar
Berry, DP, Coughlan, B, Enright, B, Burke, M 2013. Factors associated with milking characteristics in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 5943–5953.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berry, DP, Buckley, F, Dillon, PG, Evans, RD, Veerkamp, RF 2004. Genetic relationships among linear type traits, milk yield, body weight, fertility and somatic cell count in primiparous dairy cows. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 43, 161–176.Google Scholar
Boettcher, PJ, Dekkers, JCM, Kolstad, BW 1998. Development of an udder health index for sire selection based on somatic cell score, udder conformation, and milking speed. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 1157–1168.Google Scholar
Dzidic, A, Macuhova, J, Bruckmaier, RM 2004. Effects of cleaning duration and water temperature on oxytocin release and milk removal in an automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 4163–4169.Google Scholar
Gilmour, AR, Gogel, BJ, Cullis, BR, Thompson, R 2009. ASReml user guide release 3.0. VSN International Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, UK.Google Scholar
Gray, KA, Cassady, JP, Huang, Y, Maltecca, C 2012. Effectiveness of genomic prediction on milk flow trait in dairy cattle. Genetics, Selection Evolution 44, 24.Google Scholar
Gray, KA, Vacirca, F, Bagnato, A, Samoré, AB, Rossoni, A, Maltecca, C 2011. Genetic evaluations for measures of the milk-flow curve in the Italian Brown Swiss population. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 960–970.Google Scholar
Gunsett, FC 1984. Linear index selection to improve traits defined as ratios. Journal of Animal Science 59, 1185–1193.Google Scholar
Jago, J, Berry, DP 2011. Associations between herd size, rate of expansion and production, breeding policy and reproduction in spring-calving dairy herds. Animal 5, 1626–1633.Google Scholar
Meyer, K, Burnside, EB 1987. Scope for a subjective assessment of milking speed. Journal of Dairy Science 70, 1061–1068.Google Scholar
Prints, D, Groen, AF, Saatkamp, H 2002. Economic value of milkability in dairy cattle. In Animal Breeding and Genetics Group of the Wageningen Institue of Animal Sciences. MS Thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Rupp, R, Boichard, D 1999. Genetic parameters for clinical mastitis, somatic cell score, production, udder type traits, and milking ease in first lactation Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 2198–2204.Google Scholar
Samoré, AB, Román-Ponce, SI, Vacirca, F, Frigo, E, Canavesi, F, Bagnato, A, Maltecca, C 2011. Bimodality and the genetics of milk flow traits in the Italian Holstein-Friesian breed. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 4081–4089.Google Scholar
SAS Institute 2011. User's guide version 9.1.0 edition. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Sewalem, A, Miglior, F, Kistemaker, GJ 2011. Genetic parameters of milking temperament and milking speed in Canadian Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 512–516.Google Scholar
Sørensen, MK, Jensen, J, Christensen, LG 2000. Udder conformation and mastitis resistance in Danish first-lactation cows: heritabilities, genetic and environmental correlations. Acta Agriculture Scandinavia. Animal Science 50, 72–82.Google Scholar
Wiggans, GR, Thornton, LLM, Neitzel, RR, Gengler, N 2007. Genetic evaluation of milking speed for Brown Swiss dairy cattle in the United States. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 1021–2023.Google Scholar
Zwald, NR, Weigel, KA, Chang, YM, Welper, RD, Clay, JS 2005. Genetic evaluation of dairy sires for milking duration using electronically recorded milking times of their daughters. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 1192–1198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed