• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.459-466
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• 2019

Objective: This study assessed the possible existence of genotype by environment interactions for milk, fat and protein yields in Holstein cattle raised in one of the most important milk production basins in Brazil. Methods: Changes in the genetic parameters and breeding values were evaluated for 57,967 animals from three distinct regions of southern Brazil, divided according to differences in climate. The genotype by environment interaction was determined by genetic correlations between regions, estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood, considering the animal model. Bull rankings were investigated to verify the ratio of coincident selected animals between regions for each trait. Results: The estimates of heritability coefficients were similar between two regions, but were lower in the third evaluated area, for all traits. Genetic correlations between regions were high, ranging from 0.91 to 0.99 for milk, fat and protein yields, representing the absence of a genotype by environment interaction for productive traits. The percentage of selection error between regions for the top 10% of animals ranged from 0.88% to 2.07% for milk yield, 0.99% to 2.46% for fat yield and 0.59% to 3.15% for protein yield. Conclusion: A slight change in genotype between areas was expected since no significant genotype by environment interactions were identified, facilitating the process of selecting Holstein cattle in southern Brazil.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.69-73
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• 2011

The use of genomic information in genomic selection programs for dairy and beef cattle breeds has become a reality in recent years. In this investigation, we analyzed single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for Hanwoo (n=50) and Holstein (n=50) breeds using the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip to facilitate genomic selection and utilization of the Hanwoo breed in Korea. Analysis of the entire genomes showed different spectra of SNP frequencies for Hanwoo and Holstein cattle. The study revealed a highly significant (p<0.001) difference between Hanwoo and Holstein cattle in minor allele frequency (MAF). The average MAFs were $0.19{\pm}0.16$ and $0.22{\pm}0.16$ for Hanwoo and Holstein, respectively. From the total of 52,337 SNPs that were successfully identified, about 72% and 79% were polymorphic in Hanwoos and Holsteins, respectively. Polymorphic and fixed SNPs were not distributed uniformly across the chromosomes within breeds or between the two breeds. The number of fixed SNPs on all chromosomes was higher in Hanwoo cattle, reflecting the genetic uniqueness of the Hanwoo breed. In general, the rate of polymorphisms detected in these two breeds suggests that the SNPs can be used for different applications, such as whole-genome association and comparative genetic studies, and are a helpful tool in developing breed identification genetic markers.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.499-505
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic behavior of a population of Holstein cattle in response to the variation of environmental temperature by analyzing the effects of genotype by environment interaction (GEI) through reaction norms for the somatic cell score (SCS). Methods: Data was collected for 67,206 primiparous cows from the database of the Paraná Holstein Breeders Association in Brazil, with the aim of evaluating the temperature effect, considered as an environmental variable, distinguished under six gradients, with the variation range found being 17℃ to 19.5℃, over the region. A reaction norm model was adopted utilizing the fourth order under the Legendre polynomials, using the mixed models of analysis by the restricted maximum likelihood method by the WOMBAT software. Additionally, the genetic behavior of the 15 most representative bulls was assessed, in response to the changes in the temperature gradient. Results: A mean score of 2.66 and a heritability variation from 0.17 to 0.23 was found in the regional temperature increase. The correlation between the environmental gradients proved to be higher than 0.80. Distinctive genetic behaviors were observed according to the increase in regional temperature, with an observed increase of up to 0.258 in the breeding values of some animals, as well as a reduction in the breeding of up to 0.793, with occasional reclassifications being observed as the temperature increased. Conclusion: Non-relevant GEI for SCS were observed in Holstein cattle herds of southern Brazil. Thus, the inclusion of the temperature effect in the model of genetic evaluation of SCS for the southern Brazilian Holstein breed is not required.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 1997

This study was performed to investigate the ophthalmic diseases in 269 Holstein dairy cattle of 10 farms in Kyunggido, Korea. The acerage prevalence rate of ophthalmec diseases was 25.7%, ranging of from 4.8% to 47.6%. The highest incidence age was between 3 and 4 years old, 41.9% and then in order of between 5 and 6 years, between 2 and 3 years, over 6 years, between 4 and 5 years, between 1 and 2 years, and up to 1 year were shown the incidence of 33.3%, 29.4%, 27.7%, 23.8%, 19.8% and 12.5%, respectively. The prevalence rate of cataracts was higher than any other ophthalmic diseases, 10.4% and then in order of chorioretinitis, iris posterior synechiae, corneal scar, conjunctivitis, blindness, third eyelid carcinoma and globe anomaly were diagnosed as the incidence of 4.1%, 3.0%, 1.7%, 1.3%, 0.4%, 0.2% and 0.2%, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.640-647
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• 2008

Breed differences in adult animals are determined during fetal development. If interventions are to be developed that influence growth of muscle and fat, it is important to know at which time during gestation breed differences appear and are fixed. The objective of this study was to characterize fetal development in cattle of different breeds. Pregnant cows of 4 cattle breeds with different growth impetus and muscularity were slaughtered under normal processing conditions and the fetuses were removed. German Angus, a typical beef cattle; Galloway, a smaller, environmentally resistant beef type; Holstein Friesian, a dairy type; and Belgian Blue, an extreme type for muscle growth were used. Fetuses of each breed were investigated at 3, 6, and 9 mo of gestation. Fetuses were weighed and dissected into carcass, organs, and muscles. Body fat weight was obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method. Fetal weight increased most rapidly in the third trimester of gestation mainly due to the accelerated muscle and fat deposition. The organ weight to body weight (BW) ratios decreased and the muscle and fat weight to BW ratios increased. At 3 mo of gestation, Galloway fetuses had the significantly smallest BW, half-carcass weight, leg weight, organ weight, muscle weight and shortest leg length. In contrast, Holstein fetuses had the significantly greatest BW, liver, kidney, and lung weights and significantly longest leg length among the 4 breeds, but no differences between Holstein Friesian and Belgian Blue were detected in half-carcass and leg weight. Indeed, Belgian Blue fetuses had the significantly greatest half-carcass weight, leg weight, and muscle weight at 9 mo of gestation, and Galloway had a significantly greater body fat to BW ratio than Holstein Friesian and Belgian Blue. These differences were not evident at 3 and 6 mo of gestation. These data show that the profound increase of tissue and organ weights occurred in later gestation in cattle fetuses even though breed differences were evident as early as 3 mo of gestation. Depending on the tissue of interest, impacting fetal growth likely needs to occur early in gestation before the appearance of breed-specific differences.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2012

The experiment involved observations of 2,514 Holstein-Friesian cows to determine the effects of environmental factors (cow's age, calving season, weight and sex of calves, housing system) and genetic factors on gestation length in dairy cattle and the correlation between gestation length and other reproductive traits (calving ease, stillbirth rates and placental expulsion). Genetic parameters were estimated based on the sires of calved cows (indirect effect) and the sires of live-born calves (direct effect). The following factors were found to contribute to prolonged gestation: increasing cow's age, male fetuses and growing fetus weight. Optimal gestation length was determined in the range of 275-277 days based on calving ease and stillbirth rates. The heritability of gestation length was estimated at 0.201-0.210 by the direct effect and 0.055-0.073 by the indirect effect. The resulting genetic correlations suggest that the efforts to optimize (prolong) gestation length could exert an adverse influence on the breeding value of bulls by increasing perinatal mortality and calving difficulty. The standard errors of the investigated parameters were relatively high, suggesting that any attempts to modify gestation length for the purpose of improving calving ease and reducing stillbirth rates should be introduced with great caution.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of abnormal ovarian cycle postpartum on subsequent reproductive performance of Holstein cows. The cows were considered to have resumed ovarian cyclicity on the day of ovulation if followed by regular ovarian cycles. Total 58.8 percentage of the cows(l14/194) had normal resumption of ovarian cyclicity(resumption within 40 days after calving), and 41.2%(80/194) had delayed resumption(resumption did not occur until >40 days after calving). Delayed resumption Type I(one or more ovarian cycles with luteal phase >20 days, i.e. prolonged luteal phase; 17.5%) and delayed resumption Type II(first ovulation did net occur until $\geq$40 days after calving, i.e. anovulation 22.7%) were the most common types of delayed resumptions. When compared with cows with a normal ovarian cycle, the cows of delayed resumption Type I had a lower 100 days AI submission conception and pregnancy rates(84.2% vs 40.0%; p<0.01, 24.0% vs 21.4% and 20.2% vs 11.1%, respectively), and longer intervals to first AI and to conception($64.7{\pm}2.79$ days vs $105.7{\pm}7.48$ days and $105.1{\pm}7.16$ days vs $133.7{\pm}11.17$ days, respectively; p<0.01). Similarly, when compared with cows with normal ovarian cycles, the cows of delayed resumption Type II had lower 100 days conception and pregnancy rates(24.0% vs 20.0% and 20.2% vs 16.3%, respectively), and longer intervals to first AI and to conception($64.7{\pm}2.79$ days vs $72.6{\pm}4.45$ days and $105.1{\pm}7.16$ days vs $120.8{\pm}12.33$ days, respectively). In conclusion, abnormal ovarian cycles postpartum adversely affected reproductive performance, including AI submission rate, pregnancy rate, interval to first AI, and calving to conception interval in Holstein cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1686-1689
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• 2002

Genetic gains and inbreeding coefficients in a Holstein MOET breeding population were predicted under different conditions relating to the distribution of the number of transferable embryos collected per flush using Monte Carlo simulation. The numbers of transferable embryos collected per flush were determined using five distributions (distributions 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) with different aspects and similar means. Distributions 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 were assumed to have gamma distribution's parameters ($\alpha$ and $\beta$) of (1 and 4.4), (3 and 1.47), (5 and 0.88), (7 and 0.63) and (9 and 0.49), respectively. Inbreeding rates were statistically significantly different among distributions but genetic gains were not. Relationships between inbreeding rates and variances of family size could be were clearly distinguished. The highest inbreeding coefficients were predicted in distribution 1 with the largest variance of family size, while distributions 5, 7 and 9 with smaller variance of family size had lower inbreeding coefficients.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 2015

Records of 490,767 cows collected from 1990 to 2012 by dairy herd milk test of National Agriculture Cooperative Federation The pedigree of dairy cattle were provided by Korea Animal Improvement Association. The data were used to analyze the longevity of dairy cows with the life traits such as days in milk, number of lactation, productive life, and life span. The data were also used to investigate genetic relationship of these longevity traits with profitability of dairy cows, including heritability and genetic correlation. The profitability was calculated with simulation of milk income and production costs for individual cows. Days in milk among the traits had -0.287, -0.572 and -0.536 of genetic correlation with number of lactations, productive life and lifespan, respectively. The heritabilities of life span, number of lactations, productive life, and days in milk were found to be 0.045, 0.047, 0.059 and 0.081, respectively. Genetic correlations of profit with productive life, number of lactations, and days in milk were identified as 0.072, 0.080, 0.098 and 0.101. These results suggested that days in milk was most desirable traits to represent longevity of Holstein dairy cattle. In general, since longevity and profitability were close genetic relationship each other, genetic improvement of longevity is necessary for better profitable cows.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.597-604
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• 2017

In this study, we investigated the genetic characteristics and the effective population size of domestic dairy cattle using 42,201 SNPs for 923 heads of Holstein cattle. The estimate for the average linkage disequilibrium ($r^2$) among the adjacent SNPs by chromosome was 0.22, and it was highest (0.26) in chromosome 14 and lowest (0.17) in chromosome 27. When the physical distance among SNPs was less than 25Kb, the estimate for the average $r^2$ was $0.31{\pm}0.33$ and it was markedly decreased as the physical distance increased. When the physical distance among SNPs was larger than 25Mb, the estimate for the average $r^2$ was 0.04, and it decreased by 0.27 (87.1%) compared with case of physical distance of less than 25Kb. There was a trend that the effective population size in Holstein dairy cattle decreased over generations and the estimate for the effective population size in the first 5 generations (1~5th generation) was 110 heads.