Analysis of culling records and estimation of genetic parameters for longevity and some production traits in Holstein dairy cattle

Figures & data

Table 1. Structure of pedigree file.

Item	Number
Animal in pedigree	67,210
Base animals	7956
Sires	2135
Dams	34,891
Animals with both parents known	51,701

Table 2. The causes groups of culling of dairy cattle.

Group	Descriptions
Voluntary	Low milk production, low growth, sale of surplus and violent
Feet & leg problems	Joint infection, dislocation and fracture of the hands, legs and hip, lameness, crippling, hoof diseases and spinal cord injuries
Reproductive problems	Impregnability, ovarian cysts, recurrent abortions, freemartin, mummy (wax) abortion, uterus problems (rupturing , bleeding, infections and diseases)
Udder problems	Protracting and rupturing ligaments of the gland, complete teat-cistern obstruction, udder gangrene and bleeding
Infectious diseases	Leucosis, brucellosis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, black leg, pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia), foot-and-mouth disease, lung and liver infections
Congenital defect	Genetic defects, immature, paralytic, congenital diseases
Metabolic and digestive problems	Bloating, fatty liver, ketosis, milk fever, displaced abomasum, obstruction and twisting of gut, omasum accumulation, abomasum and rumen
Death
Others

Table 3. Summary of the data structures for production and longevity traits.

Trait	No of records	Mean	Standard	Minimum	Maximum	CV%
Milk yield	76,920	9183.66	2047.16	1000.48	14,997.84	22.29
Fat yield	67,736	242.70	80.61	50.02	488.02	33.21
Herd life	18,342	1501.21	1078.47	1	6004	71.84
Length of productive life	10,670	1189.24	825.11	1	5249	69.38

Table 4. Distribution of cows by the different culling reason groups.

Group	Number	%
Voluntary	5007	27.11
Feet & leg problems	1175	6.36
Reproductive problems	3298	21.27
Udder problems	1672	9.05
Infectious diseases	4332	23.46
Congenital defect	126	0.68
Metabolic and digestive problems	1444	7.82
Death	553	2.99
Others	230	1.25

Table 5. Least square means (±SE) of breeding value for milk and fat yields in voluntary and involuntary groups.

Culling causes	Milk yield		Fat yield
	N	Least square means	N	Least square means
Voluntary	1122	−137.9 ± 15.25^e	996	−2.269 ± 0.413^d
Involuntary	6987	215.142 ± 6.12^a	6811	3.023 ± 0.159^a

Note: Means with various letters are significantly different.

Table 6. Least square means (LSM ± SE) of breeding value for milk and fat yields in voluntary and subsets of involuntary groups.

Culling causes	Milk yield		Fat yield
	N	LSM ± SE	N	LSM ± SE
Voluntary	1122	−137.9 ± 15.25^e	996	−2.269 ± 0.413^d
Feet & leg problems	728	259.45 ± 18.8^ba	719	4.327 ± 0.487^ab
Reproductive problems	1879	204.47 ± 11.78^bc	1809	3.188 ± 0.307^bc
Udder problems	104	64.55 ± 50.09^d	99	−1.809 ± 0.311^d
Infectious diseases	1274	181.29 ± 14.31^c	1236	2.144 ± 0.371^c
Congenital defect	2249	209.16 ± 10.77^bc	2209	2.493 ± 0.278^c
Death	743	295.35 ± 18.74^a	739	5.053 ± 0.479^a

Note: Means with various letters are significantly differed.

Table 7. Variance component and genetic parameter estimates for production and longevity traits obtained using a univariate animal model.

Traits
Milk yield	643,451	588,957	1315,102	2547,510.90	0.25 ± 0.001	0.23 ± 0.001
Fat yield	509.87	514.22	2169.4	3193.21	0.16 ± 0.009	0.16 ± 0.008
HL	86,854.4	–	737,643	824,497	0.105 ± 0.008	–
HPL	50,447.9	–	535,543	585,991	0.086 ± 0.014	–

Notes: HL: herd life; LPL: length of production life. , , and are additive genetic, permanent environment, error and phenotype variances, respectively.

Table 8. Phenotype and genetic correlation among the production and longevity traits obtained from bivariate analysis.

First trait	Second trait	Genotypic correlation	Phenotypic correlation
Milk yield	HL	0.68	0.15
	LPL	0.70	0.38
Fat yield	HL	0.63	0.11
	LPL	0.63	0.11

Notes: HL: herd life; LPL: length of production life.