sale calves. Other contributions to variation in revenue are from values of cull cows, replacement costs and dystocia costs. Discounting procedures are not included. In contrast to other models, the software provides for sire selection by simulation rather than simply generating economic values for subsequent use. Accordingly, the model needs to directly incorporate heterosis effects from multi...

A genetic analysis of longitudinal binary clinical mastitis (CM) data recorded on about 90 000 first-lactation Swedish Holstein cows was carried out using linear random regression models (RRM). This method for genetic evaluation of CM has theoretical advantages compared to the method of linear cross-sectional models (CSM), which is currently being used. The aim of this study was to investigate ...

Heat stress has negative effects on pregnancy rates of lactating dairy cattle. There are genetic differences in tolerance to heat stress; Bos taurus indicus (B. t. indicus) cattle and embryos are more thermotolerant than Bos taurus taurus (B. t. taurus). In the present study, the effects of sire and sire breed on conception and embryonic/fetal loss rates of lactating Holstein cows during the Br...

We compared carcass and meat quality of pigs from the same sire line and two different dam lines, one that included Chinese breeds and one that did not. Line A consisted of 1/4 Landrace, 1/2 Large White, 1/8 Chinese breeds (Meishan, Fengjing, Jiaxing), and 1/8 Large White, Duroc and Pietrain, and line B consisted of 1/2 Large White and 1/2 Pietrain. The animals (N = 144) were slaughtered at a l...

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of the Charolais-specific inactive myostatin allele on phenotypic means and genetic parameters of heifer breeding traits. Records were registered from 1996 to 2006 in 282 herds dedicated to the on-farm French Charolais purebred progeny test. Data consisted of 36,867 female calf records, including 17,518 inseminated heifers that were bred b...

When linear programming is used to rank sires on daughter profits, coefficients of input are required for representative daughters of each sire. Within herdyear-season regressions of daughter's actual 305-day milk, fat percent, days open, 2-min milk yield adjusted for total yield, total milking time, and body weight at birth and first calving on sire's proofs for production, conformation, milki...

Accurate demographic knowledge of the equine population is needed to assess and model health events. France one few European countries with an operational centralized database (SIRE) recording individual data on all declared equines living in their owners keepers. Our study aimed SIRE quality concerning updating information by keepers a view its improvement use surveillance research. Two online...

Three methods of sire evaluation were compared empirically--herdmate comparison, least squares, and maximum likelihood. Michigan Dairy Herd Improvement Association Holstein data representing 10,620 first lactation records and 1,003 herd-year groups were analyzed. Forty individual bulls representing three artificial insemination units were evaluated. The rank correlations among herdmate comparis...

Broad diversity among breeds of sheep is a precious industry resource. This breed diversity can be managed to increase performance and profit through use of crossbred ewes mated to rams of a terminal sire breed. Differences among breeds in performance for survival, growth, carcass, wool, and reproductive traits are due to the unique genetic history associated with each breed. Beneficial genetic...