In this note, a procedure to partition the genetic trend of a selected population is presented. Each part of the genetic gain accounts for the Mendelian sampling terms of different groups of animals, which can be sometimes assigned to different selection policies. The method is based on a simple transformation of the predicted breeding values. The procedure was illustrated with two simulated examples. In the first example, the genetic trend is partitioned into two pieces, one coming from the selection on sires and the other coming from the selection on dams. The second example shows how the impact of an artificial insemination center in the genetic gain of the whole population can be evaluated.

Milk protein genes are among the most intensively expressed and they are active only in epithelial mammary cells of lactating animals. They code for proteins which represent 30% of the proteins consumed by humans in developed countries. Mammary gland development occurs essentially during each pregnancy. This offers experimenters attractive models to study the expression mechanisms of genes controlled by known hormones and factors (prolactin, glucocorticoids, progesterone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and others) as well as extracellular matrix. In the mid-1970s, it became possible to identify and quantify mRNAs from higher living organisms using translation in reticulocyte lysate. A few years later, the use of radioactive cDNAs as probes made it possible for the quantification of mRNA in various physiological situations using hybridisation in the liquid phase. Gene cloning offered additional tools to measure milk protein mRNAs and also to identify transcription factors. Gene transfer in cultured mammary cells and in animals contributed greatly to these studies. It is now well established that most if not all genes of higher eukaryotes are under the control of multiple distal regulatory elements and that local modifications of the chromatin structure play an essential role in the mechanisms of differentiation from embryos to adults. The technique, known as ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation), is being implemented to identify the factors that modify chromatin structure at the milk protein gene level during embryo development, mammogenesis and lactogenesis, including the action of hormones and extracellular matrix. Transgenesis is not just a tool to study gene regulation and function, it is also currently used for various biotechnological applications including the preparation of pharmaceutical proteins in milk. This implies the design of efficient vectors capable of directing the secretion of recombinant proteins in milk at a high concentration. Milk protein gene promoters and long genomic-DNA fragments containing essentially all the regulatory elements of milk protein genes are used to optimise recombinant protein production in milk.

Successfully using artificial insemination (AI) is defined as getting cows pregnant when the farmer wants them in-calf and making the best use of appropriate genetic potential. Over the past 30 to 50 years, the percentage of animals in oestrus that stand-to-be-mounted (STBM) has declined from 80% to 50%, and the duration of STBM from 15 h to 5 h; both in parallel with a reduction in first-service-pregnancy-rate from 70% to 40%. Meanwhile, the incidence of lameness and mastitis has not decreased; and it takes more than an extra 40 and 18 days, respectively, to get a lame or mastitic cow in-calf compared to healthy herd-mates. The intensity of oestrus is 50% lower in severely lame cows, and fewer lame cows ovulate. Luteal phase milk progesterone concentrations are also 50% lower in lame cows, and follicular phase oestradiol is also lower in non-ovulating lame cows compared to ovulating animals. Furthermore, lame cows that do not ovulate do not have an LH surge, and the LH pulse frequency in their late follicular phase is lower (0.53 v. 0.76 pulses/h). Thus, we suggest that the stress of lameness reduces LH pulsatility required to drive oestradiol production by the dominant follicle. The consequent low oestradiol results in less-intense oestrus behaviour and failure to initiate an LH surge; hence there is no ovulation. A series of experimental studies substantiate our hypothesis that events activating the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis interfere at both the hypothalamus and the pituitary level to disrupt LH and oestradiol secretion, and thus the expression of oestrus behaviour. Our inability to keep stress at a minimum by appropriately feeding and housing high-production cows is leading to a failure to meet genetic potential for yield and fertility. We must provide realistic solutions soon, if we want to successfully use AI to maintain a sustainable dairy industry for the future.

Simulated data were used to determine the properties of multivariate prediction of breeding values for categorical and continuous traits using phenotypic, molecular genetic and pedigree information by mixed linear–threshold animal models via Gibbs sampling. Simulation parameters were chosen such that the data resembled situations encountered in Warmblood horse populations. Genetic evaluation was performed in the context of the radiographic findings in the equine limbs. The simulated pedigree comprised seven generations and 40 000 animals per generation. The simulated data included additive genetic values, residuals and fixed effects for one continuous trait and liabilities of four binary traits. For one of the binary traits, quantitative trait locus (QTL) effects and genetic markers were simulated, with three different scenarios with respect to recombination rate (r) between genetic markers and QTL and polymorphism information content (PIC) of genetic markers being studied: r = 0.00 and PIC = 0.90 (r0p9), r = 0.01 and PIC = 0.90 (r1p9), and r = 0.00 and PIC = 0.70 (r0p7). For each scenario, 10 replicates were sampled from the simulated horse population, and six different data sets were generated per replicate. Data sets differed in number and distribution of animals with trait records and the availability of genetic marker information. Breeding values were predicted via Gibbs sampling using a Bayesian mixed linear–threshold animal model with residual covariances fixed to zero and a proper prior for the genetic covariance matrix. Relative breeding values were used to investigate expected response to multi- and single-trait selection. In the sires with 10 or more offspring with trait information, correlations between true and predicted breeding values ranged between 0.89 and 0.94 for the continuous traits and between 0.39 and 0.77 for the binary traits. Proportions of successful identification of sires of average, favourable and unfavourable genetic value were 81% to 86% for the continuous trait and 57% to 74% for the binary traits in these sires. Expected decrease of prevalence of the QTL trait was 3% to 12% after multi-trait selection for all binary traits and 9% to 17% after single-trait selection for the QTL trait. The combined use of phenotype and genotype data was superior to the use of phenotype data alone. It was concluded that information on phenotypes and highly informative genetic markers should be used for prediction of breeding values in mixed linear–threshold animal models via Gibbs sampling to achieve maximum reduction in prevalences of binary traits.

A large number of environmental factors affect the daily milk production of a cow. Lactation curves included in the French test-day model are modelled as a function of days in milk with semi-parametric curves (splines). The proper modelling of environmental effects in the test-day analysis was investigated using test-day records collected from the first three lactations of French Montbéliarde cows from 1988 to 2005. Four lactation-curve effects describing calving month, length of dry period, age at calving and gestation defined within parity-class were fitted. The shape of lactation curves did not depend on year of calving, which can be modelled as a constant over the whole lactation. To reduce computational requirements and time, data were pre-adjusted in a first step for fixed effects with no year interaction, and then used for genetic evaluation. Correlations for each lactation between 305-day estimates of genetic and permanent environment effects computed using pre-adjustment factors obtained at a 4-year interval were virtually one. The use of a two-step procedure had a very limited impact on the estimates of genetic and permanent environment effects. The minimum correlations with values estimated with a one-step procedure were 0.9984 and 0.9974, respectively. The knowledge of systematic environmental effects affecting the cow daily yield through lactation curves offers interesting perspectives to predict future daily milk production.

Indicator traits used to select pigs for increased resistance to infection or improved health must be heritable and, preferably, be associated with improved performance. We estimated the heritability of a range of immune traits and their genetic and phenotypic correlations with growth performance. We measured immune traits on 589 pigs and performance on 1941 pigs from six farms, three of which were classified as ‘high health status’ (i.e. specific pathogen-free) and three were of lower health status. All pigs were apparently healthy. Immune traits were total white blood cells (WBC), and peripheral blood mononuclear leucocyte (PBML) subsets positive for CD4, CD8α, gamma delta (γδ) T cell receptor, CD11R1 (natural killer cell marker), B cell and monocyte markers at the start and the end of standard growth performance tests. At both time points, all immune traits were moderately to highly heritable except for CD8α+ cells. At end of test, heritability estimates (h2) (±s.e.) were 0.18 (±0.11) for total WBC count. For PBML subset proportions, the heritabilities were 0.52 (±0.14) for γδ TCR+ cells, 0.62 (±0.14) for CD4+ cells, 0.44 (±0.14) for CD11R1+ cells, 0.58 (±0.14) for B cells and 0.59 (±0.14) for monocytes. Farm health status affected the heritabilities for WBC, being substantially higher on lower health status farms, but did not have consistent effects on heritabilities for the PBML subsets. There were significant negative genetic correlations between numbers and proportions of various PBML subsets and performance, at both start and end of test. In particular, the proportion of PBML cells that were CD11R1+ cells, at end of test, was strongly correlated with daily gain (rg = −0.72; P < 0.01). There were also weaker but significant negative phenotypic correlations between PBML subsets measured at end of test and performance, for γδ+ T cells, CD8α+, CD11R1+ cells, B cells or monocytes. Phenotypic correlations with daily gain were generally lower at the start of test than at the end of test. These results show that most of the major pig PBML subsets are heritable, and that systemic levels of several of these PBML subsets are genetically negatively correlated with performance. This approach provides a basis for using immune trait markers when selecting boars that can produce higher-performing progeny.

Variance and covariance components for piglet survival in different periods were estimated from individual records of 133 004 Danish Landrace piglets and 89 928 Danish Yorkshire piglets, using a liability threshold model including both direct and maternal additive genetic effects. At the individual piglet level, the estimates of direct heritability in Landrace were 0.035, 0.057 and 0.027, and in Yorkshire the estimates were 0.012, 0.030 and 0.025 for liability of survival at farrowing (SVB), from birth to day 5 (SV5) and from day 6 to weaning (SVW), respectively. The estimates of maternal heritability for SVB, SV5 and SVW were, respectively, 0.057, 0.040 and 0.030 in Landrace, and 0.050, 0.038 and 0.019 in Yorkshire. Both direct and maternal genetic correlations between the three survival traits were low and not significantly different from zero, except for a moderate direct genetic correlation between SVB and SV5 and between SV5 and SVW in Landrace. Direct and maternal genetic correlations between piglet birth weight (BW) and SV5 were moderately high, but the correlations between BW and SVB and between BW and SVW were low and most of them were not significantly different from zero. These results suggest that effective genetic improvement in piglet survival before weaning by selection should be based on both direct and maternal additive genetic effects and treat survival in different periods as different traits.

Sanfratellano is a native Sicilian horse breed, mainly reared in the north east of the Island, developed in the 19th century from local dams and sires with a restricted introgression of Oriental, African and, more recently, Maremmano stallions. In this study, the genetic relationships and admixture among Sanfratellano, the other two Sicilian autochthonous breeds and Maremmano breed were assessed using a set of microsatellites. The main goals were to infer the impact of Maremmano breed in the current Sanfratellano horse and to provide genetic information useful to improve the selection strategies of the Sanfratellano horse. The whole sample included 384 horses (238 Sanfratellano, 50 Sicilian Oriental Purebred, 30 Sicilian Indigenous and 66 Maremmano), chosen avoiding closely related animals. A total of 111 alleles from 11 microsatellite loci were detected, from four at HTG7 to 15 at ASB2 locus. The mean number of alleles was the lowest in Oriental Purebred (6.7), the highest in Sanfratellano (8.3). All the breeds showed a high level of gene diversity (He) ranging from 0.71 ± 0.04 in Sicilian Oriental Purebred to 0.81 ± 0.02 in Sicilian Indigenous. The genetic differentiation index was low; only about 6% of the diversity was found among breeds. Nei’s standards (DS) and Reynolds’ (DR) genetic distances reproduced the same population ranking. Individual genetic distances and admixture analysis revealed that: (a) nowadays Maremmano breed does not significantly influence the current Sanfratellano breed; (b) within Sanfratellano breed, it is possible to distinguish two well-defined groups with different proportions of Indigenous blood.

Neonatal lamb mortality represents both a welfare issue (due to the considerable suffering and distress) and an important production inefficiency. In lambs, approximately 80% of mortality can be attributed to the starvation–mismothering–exposure complex and occurs in the first 3 days after birth. It was the object of this review to determine the micronutrient(s) most likely to have a positive effect on neonatal lamb survival when included above the requirement for that micronutrient. Micronutrients discussed were Co, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, Zn, vitamins A and E and n-3 fatty acids. For Co, Fe, Mn and Zn, there was no evidence of positive responses to supplementation. Cu and I had toxicity thresholds that were sufficiently close to requirement that supplementing above requirement presented a risk of inducing toxicity. In the case of vitamin A, while serum concentrations indicated that sub-optimal status did exist, long-term buffering from liver stores (from grazing) makes experimentation difficult and practical benefits to supplementation unlikely. Therefore, the most likely candidates for supplementation were Se, vitamin E and fatty acids. Fatty acid supplementation with fish oils or docosahexaenoic acid-containing algal biomass consistently improved lamb vigour but it is unlikely that supplementation will be economic. Positive responses to Se supplementation throughout gestation were recorded. However, in many studies the Se status of control ewes was marginal and there is a need for more studies where control ewes are clearly adequate in Se. Positive responses to vitamin E supplementation above requirement in the last-third of gestation were observed but the optimum dietary inclusion of vitamin E and period of feeding during pregnancy still require clarification.

Increased genetic selection over the past 40 years has resulted in a dairy cow with an improved biological efficiency for producing milk but with an associated reduced fertility. Embryo loss is the greatest factor contributing to the failure of a cow to conceive. The extent and timing of embryo loss indicates that 70% to 80% of this loss occurs in the first 2 weeks after artificial insemination (AI). This is the period when a number of critical phases in embryo development occur and where protein accretion, substrate utilization and embryo metabolism increase dramatically. During this time the early embryo is completely dependent on the oviduct and uterine environment for its survival and it is likely that the embryo requires an optimal uterine environment to ensure normal growth and viability. There is increasing evidence of an association between the concentration of systemic progesterone and early embryo loss and that progesterone supplementation of cows, particularly those with low progesterone, can reduce this loss. While progesterone is known to affect uterine function and embryo growth, little is known about the uterus during the period of early embryo loss and how this is affected by changes in the concentration of systemic progesterone. The expression of uterine genes encoding the transport protein retinol binding protein (RBP) and the gene for folate binding protein (FBP) appear to be sensitive to changes in systemic progesterone, particularly during the early luteal phase of the cycle. Uterine concentrations of proteins also seem to be regulated by stage of cycle; however, their relationship with the systemic concentration of progesterone is unclear. There is an urgent need to characterize the uterine environment from a functional perspective during the early part of the luteal phase of the cycle, particularly in the high-producing cow, in order to understand the factors contributing to early embryo loss and in order to devise strategies to minimize or reduce this loss.

Footrot is a highly contagious bacterial disease of sheep affecting the interdigital skin and surrounding soft and hard horn of a hoof, often resulting in severe lameness. This study was aimed at estimating the effect of footrot on weight gain of affected animals, and characterising the variation between animals in terms of phenotypic, environmental and genetic components. A general approach was developed describing the relationship between the disease and weight gain, defining new traits such as the maximum weight loss as a result of disease and the time after infection that this occurs. In two trials, 1267 Merino sheep were artificially challenged with footrot when 10 months old and re-infected through exposure to footrot on pasture 33 weeks later. Their feet were scored for footrot and live weights were measured approximately every 3 weeks. From data on animals that were not affected by footrot throughout each trial, normal growth curves were calculated and applied to affected animals to predict their growth had they remained healthy, so that weight loss as a result of footrot could be predicted. Animals with average footrot severity in the two trials suffered weight losses of 0.5 to 2.5 kg live weight, but most animals regained lost live weight later in the trials as footrot healed following vaccination. The estimates of the heritabilities of weight loss, adjusted for the severity of footrot, were about 0.30 and 0.15 in the experimental and natural challenge groups, respectively. Animals with higher genotypic values for weights at the start of each trial appeared to cope better with infections, in terms of lower weight losses. The time of highest footrot score and the time of maximum weight loss after infection had only very small genetic components.

Intensifying concerns about the use of antimicrobials in meat and poultry production has enhanced interest in the application of prebiotics, probiotics and enzymes to enhance growth and prevent disease in food animals. Growth-promoting antibiotics enhance growth of animals by reducing the load of bacteria in the intestine, by reducing colonization by intestinal pathogens or by enhancing the growth and/or metabolism of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Recently, molecular ecology, utilizing DNA-sequence heterogeneity of the 16S rRNA gene, has revealed a surprising diversity of uncharacterized bacteria inhabiting this ecosystem. We used this approach to determine the effect of growth-promoting antibiotics on the development and composition of the ileal bacterial community. Pairwise comparisons, correspondence analysis and community diversity indices revealed significant differences among the treatments (bacitracin/virginiamycin or monensin) and controls. Antibiotics reduced the diversity of the ileal bacterial community and induced communities rich in Clostridia throughout the life of the broiler chicken. These results indicate that some bacterial species, such as lactobacilli, were suppressed and also suggest that many intestinal Clostridia may be non-pathogenic. Future studies should focus on characterizing the important bacterial species needed to stabilize the intestinal microbiota and identifying those commensals that stimulate and enhance development of intestinal function.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of post-weaning dietary protein supply and weaning age on the performance of pigs in the absence of in-feed antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) when artificially challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a pathogen associated with post-weaning colibacillosis (PWC). The experiment consisted of a complete 2 × 2 × 2 factorial combination of two weaning ages (4 v. 6 week), two levels of dietary protein (H, 230 g CP/kg v. L, 130 g CP/kg) and challenge with ETEC (+ v. −). An additional four treatments were added to test for the effects of protein source (DSMP, dried skimmed milk powder v. SOYA, soybean meal) and AGP inclusion (yes v. no) on challenged pigs of both weaning ages. At weaning (day 0), pigs were assigned to one of the experimental treatments for 2 weeks. On day 14 post-weaning, the same standard grower ration was fed to all animals until 10 weeks of age. On day 3 post weaning, challenged pigs were administered per os with 109 cfu ETEC. The ETEC challenge had a detrimental short-term effect on performance, decreasing average daily gain (ADG) (days 3 to 6; P = 0.014) in both 4- and 6-week weaned animals. Compared with their non-infected counterparts, challenged 4-week weaned pigs on the H diet demonstrated a larger decrease in ADG immediately post infection than those on the L diet, −42% and −25%, respectively (P = 0.088). This effect was smaller in the 6-week weaned pigs, −26% and −19% for the H and L diets, respectively. Pigs fed SOYA had lower (P < 0.001) daily intake and ADG (day 0 to 14) than those fed DSMP, with 6-week weaned pigs being affected to a greater extent than 4-week weaned pigs. In the absence of AGP, increasing weaning age and decreasing dietary protein level, especially in earlier weaned pigs, may help to minimise the effects of PWC on performance, particularly in sub-optimal environments.

The aim of the study was to analyse the genetic background of different traits to characterise the maternal behaviour of sows and to evaluate the relationship to different causes of piglet losses – increasing piglet survival due to higher maternal abilities of the sow. A total of 1538 purebred litters from 943 German Landrace sows in the year 2004 were available for data analysis. Around 13 971 individually earmarked piglets were included in the analyses. Maternal abilities were characterised through the sow’s reaction to the separation from her litter during the first 24 h after farrowing, and on day 21 of lactation, the reaction towards the playback of a piglet’s distress call and the reaction towards an unknown noise (music). In 1220 of these litters, the sows were also scored for aggressiveness in the group when regrouped before entering the farrowing crates. To describe fertility, the number of piglets born alive, stillborn piglets, number of piglets born in total and the individual birth weight were utilised. Different causes of piglet losses were evaluated as binary traits of the dam with survival rate, different definitions for crushing by the sow, being underweight and runts. The heritability for being aggressive in the group was h2 = 0.32 and for the behaviour traits during lactation, the heritabilities ranged from h2 = 0.06 to 0.14. The genetic correlations showed that more-reactive sows had fewer piglet losses.

This work presents an analysis of heterogeneity of environmental variance for slaughter weight (175 days) in pigs. This heterogeneity is associated with systematic and additive genetic effects. The model also postulates the presence of additive genetic effects affecting the mean and environmental variance. The study reveals the presence of genetic variation at the level of the mean and the variance, but an absence of correlation, or a small negative correlation, between both types of additive genetic effects. In addition, we show that both, the additive genetic effects on the mean and those on environmental variance have an important influence upon the future economic performance of selected individuals.

Within breeds and other captive populations, the risk of high inbreeding rates and loss of diversity can be high within (small) herds or subpopulations. When exchange of animals between different subpopulations is organised according to a rotational mating scheme, inbreeding rates can be restricted. Two such schemes, a breeding circle and a maximum avoidance of inbreeding scheme, are compared. In a breeding circle, flocks are organised in a circle where each flock serves as a donor flock for another flock, and the same donor–recipient combination is used in each breeding season. In the maximum inbreeding avoidance scheme, donor–recipient combinations change each year so that the use of the same combination is postponed as long as possible. Data from the Kempisch Heideschaap were used with computer simulations to determine the long-term effects of different breeding schemes. Without exchanging rams between flocks, high inbreeding rates (>1.5% per year) occurred. Both rotational mating schemes reduced inbreeding rates to on average 0.16% per year and variation across flocks in inbreeding rates, caused by differences in flock size, almost disappeared. Inbreeding rates with maximum inbreeding avoidance were more variable than with a breeding circle. Moreover, a breeding circle is easier to implement and operate. Breeding circles are thus efficient and flexible and can also be efficient for other captive populations, such as zoo populations of endangered wild species.

The present study investigated the presence of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (G > T) at base −8 upstream of ATG in 5′ untranslated region of cytochrome b5 (CYB5A) gene in Swedish pig populations and evaluated the significance of this polymorphism for androstenone and skatole levels, sexual development and performance parameters in pigs. Frequencies of the T allele were 6.7% for Swedish Yorkshire × Landrace crossbred pigs (n = 245), 6.5% for Swedish Yorkshire (n = 99) and 12.8% for Landrace breed (n = 74). No deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were observed in the investigated populations. In Swedish Yorkshire × Landrace crossbred entire male pigs (n = 193), plasma samples were analysed for skatole, androstenone, testosterone and oestrone sulphate, and fat samples were analysed for androstenone, skatole and free oestrone. Additionally, testis weight and bulbourethral gland length for crossbred pigs were recorded. Plasma androstenone levels were significantly lower in the G/T genotype at 90 kg live weight compared with the wild G/G genotype at the same live weight (P = 0.006). In heavier pigs, plasma androstenone levels did not differ between genotypes (P = 0.382). Fat androstenone levels were not affected by CYB5A genotype (P = 0.252). Skatole levels in the G/T genotype at 115 kg live weight were lower compared with those in the G/G genotype in plasma (P = 0.048) and fat (P = 0.028), although no differences were observed in lighter pigs. Testis weight, bulbourethral gland length, testosterone and oestrone sulphate levels in plasma, and oestrone levels in fat were not affected by genotype. We concluded that the presence of the T allele in the CYB5A gene resulted in lower androstenone levels in plasma, and lower skatole levels in fat and plasma; this reduction, however, was dependent on the live weight of the animals. Reproductive hormones and growth rate did not differ between the pigs of different genotypes, whereas a higher lean meat content was found in the G/T genotype in comparison with the G/G genotype. The practical application of those results in Sweden is doubtful because of lack of the effect on androstenone in fat and the low frequency of the T allele in the studied Swedish pig populations.

Estimates of (co)variance components were obtained for weights at birth, weaning and at 6, 9 and 12 months of age in Jamunapari goats maintained at the Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura, India, over a period of 23 years (1982 to 2004). Records of 4301 kids descended from 204 sires and 1233 does were used in the study. Analyses were carried out by restricted maximum likelihood (REML), fitting an animal model and ignoring or including maternal genetic or permanent environmental effects. Six different animal models were fitted for all traits. The best model was chosen after testing the improvement of the log-likelihood values. Direct heritability estimates were inflated substantially for all traits when maternal effects were ignored. Heritability estimates for weights at birth, weaning and at 6, 9 and 12 months of age were 0.12, 0.18, 0.13, 0.17 and 0.21, respectively. Maternal heritability of body weight declined from 0.19 at birth to 0.08 at weaning and was near zero and not significant thereafter. Estimates of the fraction of variance due to maternal permanent environmental effects were 0.09, 0.13 and 0.10 for body weights at weaning, 6 months and 9 months of age, respectively. Results suggest that maternal additive effects were important only in the early stages of growth, whereas a permanent environmental maternal effect existed from weaning to 9 months of age. These results indicate that modest rates of genetic progress appear possible for all weights.

Unsatisfactory reproductive performance in dairy cows, such as reduced conception rates, in addition to an increased incidence of early embryonic mortality, is reported worldwide and has been associated with a period of negative energy balance (NEB) early post partum. Typically, NEB is associated with biochemical changes such as high non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), high β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) and low glucose concentrations. The concentrations of these and other metabolites in the follicular fluid (FF) of high-yielding dairy cows during NEB were determined and extensively analyzed, and then were replicated in in vitro maturation models to investigate their effect on oocyte quality. The results showed that typical metabolic changes during NEB are well reflected in the FF of the dominant follicle. However, the oocyte seems to be relatively isolated from extremely elevated NEFA or very low glucose concentrations in the blood. Nevertheless, the in vitro maturation models revealed that NEB-associated high NEFA and low glucose levels in the FF are indeed toxic to the oocyte, resulting in deficient oocyte maturation and developmental competence. Induced apoptosis and necrosis in the cumulus cells was particularly obvious. Furthermore, maturation in saturated free fatty acid-rich media had a carry-over effect on embryo quality, leading to reduced cryotolerance of day 7 embryos. Only β-OHB showed an additive toxic effect in moderately hypoglycemic maturation conditions. These in vitro maturation models, based on in vivo observations, suggest that a period of NEB may hamper the fertility of high-yielding dairy cows through increased NEFA and decreased glucose concentrations in the FF directly affecting oocyte quality. In addition to oocyte quality, these results also demonstrate that embryo quality is reduced following an NEB episode. This important observation may be linked to the typical diet provided to stimulate milk yield, or to physiological adaptations sustaining the high milk production. Research into this phenomenon is ongoing.

A multi-trait selection index designed to improve the overall economic performance of hill sheep, including both maternal and lamb traits, has been developed and tested in a selection experiment over 7 years. Two versions of the index were tested, with different economic weights applied to the traits, on two different hill farms: one version including maternal and growth traits; the other version with additional breeding goals of carcass weight, fatness and conformation scores. Responses to selection, using both versions of the index, suggest that improvements are being made in overall index score and lamb growth. This study investigated the indirect effects of these selection indices on lamb carcass composition and muscularity traits, as measured using X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. A total of 499 lambs from the two hill farms were CT scanned at weaning (approximately 120 days of age). Approximately half of the lambs from each farm were from the selection line (S, animals with highest index scores selected for breeding), while the other half were from a control line (C, animals with average index scores selected). Composition and muscularity traits were estimated on each lamb from CT data and differences between genetic lines investigated, within farm, using restricted maximum likelihood analyses, adjusting for either live weight or age. Results showed that the selection index without carcass traits produced lambs with carcass composition that was not significantly different to control lambs at a given live weight or age. Including carcass traits in the index resulted in lambs with no compositional differences (except for a slight increase in bone) at a set age compared with controls. At a given live weight however, selection lambs had less fat and lower carcass weights and killing-out percentage. Muscularity (3-D muscle shape) and muscle area shape (2-D) were not improved as a result of selection on either version of the index (including carcass weight and grades in the breeding goals or not) and, at a fixed live weight, muscularity in hind leg and lumbar regions tended to be higher in the C line. To accelerate changes in carcass composition and muscularity within the context of a multi-trait selection index for hill sheep, consideration should therefore be given to including objective CT-derived carcass traits in the index in addition to the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) carcass grades or ultrasound measurements.