Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Lactation Curve Traits in Holstein Dairy Cows in Iran

The objectives were to estimate (co)variance components and genetic parameters for lactation curve traits in Holstein dairy cows in Iran. The used data were records on Holstein cows collected during January 2003 to December 2012 by the Animal Breeding Center of Iran (Karaj, Iran). In order to describe the lactation curve, an incomplete gamma function was fitted to 691200 test-day records on 96263 lactations, 377696 test-day records on 52168 lactations, and 182143 test-day records on 24951 lactations for the first three parities, respectively. Lactation curve traits that were analyzed included a scaling factor associated with initial yield, the inclining and declining slopes of the curve, peak time, peak yield, 305-d milk yield and a lactation persistency measure derived from the incomplete gamma function. The estimated heritability of lactation curve traits for the first, second and third lactation ranged from 0.012 to 0.29, 0.017 to 0.15, and 0.02 to 0.13, respectively. Genetic correlations among lactation curve traits for the first, second and third lactation ranged from -0.68 to 0.99, -0.84 to 0.98 and -0.90 to 0.94, respectively. The estimated repeatability of lactation curve traits ranged from 0.07 to 0.40. The moderate to large positive genetic correlations of 305-d milk yield with initial yield, peak yield and lactation persistency suggest that one of these traits could be used as a selection criterion to improve all four traits. However, the peak yield and 305-d milk yield were more heritable than lactation were persistency and initial yield.