ESTIMATION OF BREEDING VALUES OF SAHIWAL CATTLE USING TEST DAY MILK YIELDS
M. S. KHAN, G. BILAL, I. R. BAJWA, Z. REHMAN1 AND S. AHMAD2
Department of Animal Breeding & Genetics, University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad; 1Research Centre for Conservation of Sahiwal cattle,
Jhang; 2NWFP Agriculture University, Peshawar, Pakistan
Abstract
Estimated breeding values of test-day (TD) and
305-day milk yield were calculated to compare ranking of animals on the basis of
two information sources under an animal model. Two statistical models were used
to analyze 780 first lactation (305-day) and monthly milk yield records. The
first model was an individual animal model to analyze lactation milk yield with
period-season of calving as fixed effect, while the second model was a
repeatability model where monthly milk yield records were analyzed using
period-season of calving as fixed effect and animals’ additive genetic effect
and permanent environmental effect as random factors. In this model, the age at
calving, ratio of days in milk to 305-day (as linear and quadratic components)
and their reciprocal logs were used as covariables. Ranking of animals for
estimated breeding values from the two models was compared. The rank
correlations were 0.927 and 0.923 for sires and cows, respectively. Largest rank
shift measured in sires and cows showed that ranking of sire was affected less
than that of cows. Phenotypic and genetic correlations did not show any clear
pattern due to limited number of observations. Higher values of rank
correlations suggested that TD milk yields could be used instead of 305-day
lactation yields for genetic evaluation of sires and cows. Detailed studies
involving larger data sets were however, suggested for validation of results.
Key
words:
Estimated breeding values, milk yield, Sahiwal cattle, test day model.