• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.255-260
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• 1994

Calving records of 107 heifers from two breed groups were used to identify the major factors contributing to calving difficulty (dystocia) and compare the influence of pelvic diameters, weight and height of heifers measured after breeding and before calving on dystocia. The horizontal and vertical pelvic diameters, hip height and weight of heifers were measured two months after breeding and again two months before calving. Snell transformed calving difficulty scores (0 = normal to 100 = surgical intervention) were used in analyzing the data by analysis of covariance. Body condition score of the heifer, sire birth weight of the calf, birth weight of the calf, and ratio of calf birth weight to pelvic area all had significant effects on dystocia. Calf birth weight, ratio of calf birth weight to pelvic area, and heifer's condition score were especially important. However, sex of calf did not have a significant influence on dystocia. Generally, the variables measured before calving accounted for a higher proportion of variation in dystocia than those measured after breeding. Thus, based on the relative importance of the major factors affecting dystocia, it is suggested that selection of bulls with low birth weight for breeding on normal size heifers with optimum body condition score, and well developed pelvic opening, would be effective in reducing the incidence and severity of dystocia in beef heifers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1225-1233
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• 2017

Objective: Calving ease (CE) is a complex reproductive trait of economic importance in dairy cattle. This study was aimed to investigate the genetic merits of CE for Holsteins in Korea. Methods: A total of 297,614 field records of CE, from 2000 to 2015, from first parity Holstein heifers were recorded initially. After necessary data pruning such as age at first calving (18 to 42 mo), gestation length, and presence of sire information, final datasets for CE consisted of 147,526 and 132,080 records for service sire calving ease (SCE) and daughter calving ease (DCE) evaluations, respectively. The CE categories were ordered and scores ranged from CE1 to CE5 (CE1, easy; CE2, slight assistance; CE3, moderate assistance; CE4, difficult calving; CE5, extreme difficulty calving). A linear transformation of CE score was obtained on each category using Snell procedure, and a scaling factor was applied to attain the spread between 0 (CE5) and 100% (CE1). A sire-maternal grandsire model analysis was performed using ASREML 3.0 software package. Results: The estimated direct heritability ($h^2$) from SCE and DCE evaluations were $0.11{\pm}0.01$ and $0.08{\pm}0.01$, respectively. Maternal $h^2$ estimates were $0.05{\pm}0.02$ and $0.04{\pm}0.01$ from SCE and DCE approaches, respectively. Estimates of genetic correlations between direct and maternal genetic components were $-0.68{\pm}0.09$ (SCE) and $-0.71{\pm}0.09$ (DCE). The average direct genetic effect increased over time, whereas average maternal effect was low and consistent. The estimated direct predicted transmitting ability (PTA) was desirable and increasing over time, but the maternal PTA was undesirable and decreasing. Conclusion: The evidence on sufficient genetic variances in this study could reflect a possible selection improvement over time regarding ease of calving. It is expected that the estimated genetic parameters could be a valuable resource to formulate sire selection and breeding plans which would be directed towards the reduction of calving difficulty in Korean Holsteins.