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The Relation of Pedigree Promise to Performance of Proved Holstein-Friesian Bulls¹

Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Artificial Insemination, Department of Animal Husbandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ABSTRACT

The average butterfat production of the daughters of 207 proved Holstein-Friesian bulls was studied in relation to the average butterfat production of the mates of these bulls and that of their direct and collateral female relatives. Two series of multiple regression equations were calculated depending on the records of production available: A for 158 bulls, B for 141 bulls, of which 92 bulls were common to each group. A multiple correlation coefficient of approximately + 0.37 was found in both cases between the direct pedigree estimate and average production of the daughters of the bulls, accounting for approximately 14 per cent of the variance among the daughter groups in their butterfat production. When average butterfat yield of the bulls' mates (the dams of the daughters) was added to the information from the pedigrees the correlation coefficients were approximately + 0.7 and accounted for from 47.5 to 49 per cent of the variance between the butterfat averages of the daughters of the bulls. Non-genetic correlations, presumably due to environmental similarities between herds, contributed to the relationships found.

The study indicates that for selection of young dairy bulls, records of performance of females in their pedigrees are of importance in the following order: (a) the average production of the paternal half-sisters of the bull, (b) the average production of the dams of the paternal half-sisters of the bull, and (c) the average production of the paternal half-sisters of the bull's dam. The average production of the bull's own dam or of his maternal half-sisters showed no relationship to the average production of his daughters. However, since the dams of the bulls were a highly selected group, the only general conclusion that could be made was that among bulls whose dams average above 450 lb. of butterfat, 2X, M.E., D.H.I.A. conditions, the differences between the records of such dams are of little significance.

¹ The data in this paper are from a thesis submitted by the senior author to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Feb., 1948. The authors are indebted to Professor S. J. Brownell, Project Leader, Animal Husbandry Extension, New York State College of Agriculture, for permission to obtain these data from the Herd Analysis Extension Project.

² Now at Kansas State College, Manhattan.

³ Now at University of Illinois, Urbana.