CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF ANIMALS IN THE FORMATION OF A BREEDING GROUP OF MOTHERS-COWS ON THE BASIS OF MILK PRODUCTIVITY

E. E. Mel’nikova¹, A. A. Sermyagin¹, S. N. Kharitonov¹, I. N. Yanchukov^1,2, A. N. Ermilov², N. A. Zinovieva^1
1Federal Scientific Center of Animal Husbandry – L. K. Ernst All-Russian Research Institute of Animal Husbandry, pos. Dubrovitsy, 60, Podol’skii r-n, Moskovskaya obl., 142132, Russian Federation
²OAO «Moskovskoe» po plemennoy rabote», st. Zakharovo, Noginsk, Noginskij r-n, Moscow region, 142403, Russian Federation

Abstract. The effectiveness of using estimates of the breeding value of first-calf cows for individual productive traits was compared as criteria for selecting the breeding stock in breeding groups of mothers-cows at the management level of the herd. For animals of the Black-and-White Holsteinized population of dairy cattle in Moscow region, lactated between 2011 and 2015, the pedigree value estimates were calculated on the basis of the solution of the BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) equation based on milk production characteristics. For the first-calf cows of ten breeding farms (10031 heads), the values of the “cow effect” (cc) and genetic estimates of individuals (gc) were determined, and the c0 and g0 indices, not taking into account the effect of the bull-father effect, were calculated for cows-daughters of the estimated producers. The total number of evaluated producers is 293 heads; the number of HYS effects (fixed gradation factor “herd-year-season”) is 896. With the estimates of the genetic value of cows (gc), the phenotypic manifestations of the signs correlated at the average positive level (r was from +0.27 to +0.38), ck estimates correlated at the low positive level (r was from +0.08 to +0.20), which indicates their insolvency for the detection of genetically valuable animals. Estimates c0 and g0 of cows are not objective enough to determine the breeding value of the first-calf cows (r (gk; g0) was from -0.15 to -0.34). A high level of correlation between the bull-father effect (s) and gc estimates of cows (r (s; gk) was from +0.94 to +0.96) was revealed. Using estimates g0 of individuals in the formation of breeding groups of mothers-cows is inappropriate because of their “isolation” from the indices of the breeding value of their ancestors. The definition of an integrated assessment of the breeding value of cows must be based on their genetic estimates (gc) for productive characteristics. Elimination from herds of cows-daughters of tested bulls is impractical until the values of the pedigree value of their fathers are obtained. The ranging of cows from non-certified for breed bulls increases the risk of loss of genetic valuable individuals.

Keywords: genetic estimation; cow effect; BLUP-procedure; genetic merit; dairy cattle.

Author Details: E. E. Mel’nikova, Cand. Sc. (Agr.), senior research fellow (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.); A. A. Sermyagin, Cand. Sc. (Agr.), leading research fellow (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.); S. N. Kharitonov, D. Sc. (Agr.), leading research fellow (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.); I. N. Yanchukov1,2, D. Sc. (Agr.), leading research fellow, general director (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.); A. N. Ermilov, D. Sc. (Agr.), deputy general director (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.); N. A. Zinovieva, D. Sc. (Biol.), member of the RAS, director (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.).

For citation: Mel’nikova E. E., Sermyagin A. A., Kharitonov S. N., Yanchukov I. N., Ermilov A. N., Zinovieva N. A. Criteria for Selection of Animals in the Formation of a Breeding Group of Mothers-Cows on the Basis of Milk Productivity. Dostizheniya nauki i tekhniki APK. 2018. Vol. 32. No. 5. Pp. 59-62 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.24411/0235-2451-2018-10515.