Interval mapping was carried out to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for milk production traits in five granddaughter design families of the German Holstein population. Fourteen randomly generated markers spanning the whole of BTA6 and six targeted microsatellite markers from BTA6q21-31 were included in the analysis. In one family a QTL with effects on milk fat yield and milk protein yiel...

Bovine placental lactogen (bPL) is structurally related to prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH). In synergism with steroid and thyroid hormones, bPL is crucial in stimulating the development of the mammary gland, mammary cell differentiation and function. To further explore whether bPL gene is associated with milk production traits, we herein analyzed single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) w...

Genetic parameters for a subjective milk score given to ewes within 24 h of parturition were estimated to determine the usefulness of milk score as a selection trait to improve milk production, which influences total litter weight weaned. Heritability of milk score and the genetic correlation of milk score with litter weight weaned were estimated by REML separately for four sheep breeds, Rambou...

The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic relationships between days open (DO) and both milk production traits and fatty acid (FA) content in milk predicted by mid-infrared spectrometry. The edited data set included 143,332 FA and production test-day records and 29,792 DO records from 29,792 cows in 1,170 herds. (Co)variances were estimated using a series of 2-trait models that in...

Information from 7712 lactations of Holstein dairy cows was collected from 33 commercial herds around Ithaca, NY in the 3 yr from 1981 to 1983. The data were divided into subsets corresponding to lactation 1, lactation 2, and lactation 3 or greater. To estimate heritabilities of dystocia, retained placenta, metritis, ovarian cysts, milk fever, and mastitis, a mixed linear model (herd-year fixed...

Multiple-trait random regression animal models with simultaneous and recursive links between phenotypes for milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS) on the same test day were fitted to Canadian Holstein data. All models included fixed herd test-day effects and fixed regressions within region-age at calving-season of calving classes, and animal additive genetic and permanent environmental regress...

Finnish genetic evaluation of dairy cattle is based on test-day (TD) yields, applying a multiple-trait random regression TD model. The model considers the first lactation milk, protein, and fat yield, plus the later lactation milk, protein, and fat yield as different traits, where all the later lactations are modelled as repeated observations (Lidauer et al., 2000). Currently, yields are scaled...

The study aimed to determine factors affecting the dry period length and effect of dry days on milk yield, milk composition and lactation length in the next lactation of dairy cows. Data used for analysis included 7264 lactation records collected from 2012 to 2016 on 4737 Holstein cows raised in 152 herds. The statistical model used to determine the factors influencing the dry period length sho...

Dairy cattle breeding programs have been based in the selection for traits related to milk production. In this research a data set of 63 herds of East Azerbaijan province Holstein cattle, collected during 2002-2013 by the Iranian Animal Breeding Center was used to estimate the repeatability and heritability of three traits of economic importance. Genetic parameters for first three lactations of...