Heritability of Clinical Mastitis Incidence and Relationships with Sire Transmitting Abilities for Somatic Cell Score, Udder Type Traits, Productive Life, and Protein Yield

¹ Department of Dairy and Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802
² Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583
³ Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108

The objective of this study was to determine the relationships among daughter clinical mastitis during first and second lactations and sire transmitting abilities for somatic cell score, udder type traits, productive life, and protein yield. Data on clinical mastitis during first lactation were available for 1795 daughters (in six Pennsylvania herds, one Minnesota herd, and one Nebraska herd) of 283 Holstein sires. Data on clinical mastitis during second lactation were available for 1055 of these daughters. A total of 479 cows had 864 clinical episodes during first lactation, and 230 cows had 384 clinical episodes during second lactation. Clinical mastitis incidence and the total number of clinical episodes during each lactation were regressed on herd-season of calving (a classification variable), age at first calving, lactation length, and sire transmitting abilities taken one at a time. Linear effects, nonlinear effects, and odds ratios were estimated for sire transmitting abilities. Separate analyses were conducted on dependent variables that considered clinical mastitis from: all organisms, coagulase-negative staphylococci, coliform species, streptococci other than Streptococcus agalactiae, and the most common environmental organisms (coliform species and streptococci other than Streptococcus agalactiae). Heritability of clinical mastitis ranged from 0.01 to 0.42. Daughters of sires that transmit the lowest somatic cell score had the lowest incidence of clinical mastitis and the fewest clinical episodes during first and second lactations. Daughters of sires that transmit longer productive life, shallower udders, deeper udder cleft, and strongly attached fore udders had either fewer clinical episodes or lower clinical mastitis incidence during first and second lactations. The incidence of clinical mastitis and the number of clinical episodes per lactation may be reduced by selection for lower somatic cell score, longer productive life, shallower udders, deeper udder cleft, or strongly attached fore udders.

Key Words: clinical mastitis • somatic cell score • productive life • udder type traits

Submitted on August 10, 1999
Accepted on March 21, 2000

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. E. Vallimont, C. D. Dechow, C. G. Sattler, and J. S. Clay Heritability estimates associated with alternative definitions of mastitis and correlations with somatic cell score and yield J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2009; 92(7): 3402 - 3410. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Kaupe, H. Brandt, E-M. Prinzenberg, and G. Erhardt Joint analysis of the influence of CYP11B1 and DGAT1 genetic variation on milk production, somatic cell score, conformation, reproduction, and productive lifespan in German Holstein cattle J Anim Sci, January 1, 2007; 85(1): 11 - 21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. J. Boettcher, D. Caraviello, and D. Gianola Genetic Analysis of Somatic Cell Scores in US Holsteins with a Bayesian Mixture Model J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2007; 90(1): 435 - 434. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Banos, M. P. Coffey, E. Wall, and S. Brotherstone Genetic relationship between first-lactation body energy and later-life udder health in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2006; 89(6): 2222 - 2232. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. Zwald, K. A. Weigel, Y. M. Chang, R. D. Welper, and J. S. Clay Genetic Analysis of Clinical Mastitis Data from On-Farm Management Software Using Threshold Models J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2006; 89(1): 330 - 336. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Koivula, E. A. Mantysaari, E. Negussie, and T. Serenius Genetic and Phenotypic Relationships Among Milk Yield and Somatic Cell Count Before and After Clinical Mastitis J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2005; 88(2): 827 - 833. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Saebo, T. Almoy, B. Heringstad, G. Klemetsdal, and A. H. Aastveit Genetic Evaluation of Mastitis Resistance Using a First-Passage Time Model for Wiener Processes for Analysis of Time to First Treatment J Dairy Sci, February 1, 2005; 88(2): 834 - 841. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. Zwald, K. A. Weigel, Y. M. Chang, R. D. Welper, and J. S. Clay Genetic Selection for Health Traits Using Producer-Recorded Data. I. Incidence Rates, Heritability Estimates, and Sire Breeding Values J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2004; 87(12): 4287 - 4294. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Holmberg and L. Andersson-Eklund Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Health Traits in Swedish Dairy Cattle J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2004; 87(8): 2653 - 2659. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. de Haas, R. F. Veerkamp, H. W. Barkema, Y. T. Grohn, and Y. H. Schukken Associations Between Pathogen-Specific Cases of Clinical Mastitis and Somatic Cell Count Patterns J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2004; 87(1): 95 - 105. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Odegard, G. Klemetsdal, and B. Heringstad Genetic Improvement of Mastitis Resistance: Validation of Somatic Cell Score and Clinical Mastitis as Selection Criteria J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2003; 86(12): 4129 - 4136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Hiendleder, H. Thomsen, N. Reinsch, J. Bennewitz, B. Leyhe-Horn, C. Looft, N. Xu, I. Medjugorac, I. Russ, C. Kuhn, et al. Mapping of QTL for Body Conformation and Behavior in Cattle J. Hered., November 1, 2003; 94(6): 496 - 506. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. L. Nash, G. W. Rogers, J. B. Cooper, G. L. Hargrove, and J. F. Keown Heritability of Intramammary Infections at First Parturition and Relationships with Sire Transmitting Abilities for Somatic Cell Score, Udder Type Traits, Productive Life, and Protein Yield J Dairy Sci, August 1, 2003; 86(8): 2684 - 2695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]