Abstract
In Israeli dairy herds heritability estimates for perinatal calf mortality (PCM) in calvings of heifer mates (HM) and cow mates (CM) were 0.42 and 0.13; the respective genetic standard deviations were 6.02 and 2.38 and the genetic correlation between HM and CM calvings was 0.58. It appears that CM calvings can contribute little to predicting HM calving performances.
Evidence is presented of sire families with persistently high and low PCM of HM. Selecting PCM proven sires for heifer breeding in Israel reduced the PCM incidence immediately by one-third, and then stabilised. The hypothesis is advanced that loci with large and small effects control foeto-pelvic incompatibility.
The genetic correlation between difficult calving of HM and growth rate of some was 0.35 and with milk yield of heifer daughters it was -0.46. Considering this situation, it is suggested that some of PCM proven sires might be exempted from post-performance test culling.
About 350 HM calvings are considered necessary for reliable PCM tests and only yield-proven sires at return to service are now mated to HM and PCM testing. Sire tests are by within herd/season contemporary comparisons. Since only one-fourth of the inseminations are to heifers, there is no need for culling sires on PCM. By nominating part of the yield-proven sires for heifer breeding, 90% of all heifers could be bred by yield and PCM-proven sires.
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© 1979 ECSC, EEC, EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg
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Bar-Anan, R. (1979). A Breeding Strategy for Reducing Perinatal Calf Mortality in Heifer Calvings. In: Hoffmann, B., Mason, I.L., Schmidt, J. (eds) Calving Problems and Early Viability of the Calf. Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9315-0_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9315-0_7
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