JDS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J. Dairy Sci. 2009. 92:3437-3446. doi:10.3168/jds.2008-1844
© 2009 American Dairy Science Association ®
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Interpretive Summary
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Strandberg, E.
Right arrow Articles by Coffey, M. P.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Strandberg, E.
Right arrow Articles by Coffey, M. P.

Genotype by environment interaction for first-lactation female fertility traits in UK dairy cattle

E. Strandberg*,1, S. Brotherstone{dagger}, E. Wall{ddagger} and M. P. Coffey{ddagger}

* Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, S-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
{dagger} Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
{ddagger} Sustainable Livestock Systems Group, Scottish Agricultural College, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PH, United Kingdom

1 Corresponding author: Erling.Strandberg{at}hgen.slu.se

The objective of this study was to examine whether there was genotype by environment interaction (GxE) for female fertility traits for various environmental descriptors used in the United Kingdom. Records on days to first service (DFS), nonreturn rate at 56 d (NR56), calving interval (CI), and number of inseminations (NINS) on approximately 200,000 first-lactation Holstein cows in 3,192 herds and from 1,147 sires were analyzed using both random regression reaction norm models and multiple-trait models. The environmental descriptors were herd averages of DFS, CI, and NR56, and herd production and intensity indices, the latter based on 305-d milk, fat, and protein yields, age at first calving, temperature, and rainfall. No GxE was found for NR56 and NINS. There was an indication of GxE for DFS and CI with respect to the herd average of that trait, but only from the reaction norm model. Genotype by environment interaction existed for DFS and CI with respect to both production and intensity indexes—genetic correlations between top and bottom quartiles ranged from 0.73 to 0.84, with similar results from both models, indicating reranking of bulls. Part of this GxE might be explained by low production and intensity herds also having more concentrated spring calving.

Key Words: genotype by environment interaction • female fertility • dairy cattle






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by the American Dairy Science Association ®.