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Appropriate selection indices for functional traits in dairy cattle breeding schemes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2018

Arash Chegini
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O.Box:41635-1314, Rasht, Iran
Navid Ghavi Hossein-Zadeh
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O.Box:41635-1314, Rasht, Iran
Seyed Hossein Hosseini Moghaddam*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O.Box:41635-1314, Rasht, Iran
Abdol Ahad Shadparvar
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O.Box:41635-1314, Rasht, Iran
*
Authors for correspondence: Seyed Hossein Hosseini Moghaddam, Email: hosseini@guilan.ac.ir

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish different single or multiple trait selection indices to calculate genetic and economic gains by combining some production, reproduction and udder health traits in a population similar to the overall practical situation in Iran, with and without imposing restrictions on genetic change for some traits. The SelAction software was used to perform the analyses based on selection index theory through a deterministic model. Results indicated that among established indices, the index that showed the highest genetic gain for milk yield did not maximize the total genetic and economic gains. Rather, the index that included all production, reproduction and udder health traits yielded the highest genetic and economic gains. When we placed restriction on the selection indices, the economic gain decreased and the amount of reduction depended on the heritability and the correlation of restricted trait(s) with other traits. Generally, regarding the economic genetic gain per generation, the indices based on records of 200 offspring were 4.819% more efficient than those that used information of 100 offspring.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Hannah Dairy Research Foundation 2018 

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Footnotes

This research is a part of Ph.D. thesis of the first author.

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