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Title: CHANGES IN USDA-DHIA GENETIC EVALUATIONS (FEBRUARY 1997)

Author
item Vanraden, Paul
item Wiggans, George
item Norman, H
item Powell, Rex

Submitted to: AIPL Research Reports
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Changes in USDA-DHIA genetic evaluations in February 1996 were documented so that the dairy industry could make most effective use of information provided to cooperators. For the first time, records from plans coded 40- 77, which include owner-sampler test plans, were used in evaluations. Dollar values of yield traits are now aimed at anticipated future prices and are constant instead of changing each year to the previous year's prices. Two new variables for bull evaluations are percentage of daughters with first lactations from plans 40-77 and mean inbreeding coefficient of daughters. Release dates for USDA-DHIA evaluations were changed to February and August to coincide with evaluations from the International Bull Evaluation Service (INTERBULL). Evaluations from USDA are official for all bulls with a USDA-DHIA reliability of 1) at least 80% or 2) less than 5% below their INTERBULL reliability. Evaluations for bulls designated by artificial insemination (AI) organizations as being actively marketed were included in the listing for active AI bulls if the bulls were progeny tested in the United States or if their USDA-DHIA reliability was at least 80% regardless of country of initial sampling. A bull's INTERBULL evaluation was reported on the active AI list if it qualified as official. Additional releases of USDA-DHIA genetic evaluations are planned for May and November. Correspondence and research reports related to genetic evaluations are available through the Animal Improvement Program Laboratory home page (http://aipl.arsusda.gov). Understanding by dairy producers of changes in methodology and release of genetic evaluations promotes appropriate use of information provided to the industry, thereby advancing genetic progress.

Technical Abstract: Changes in USDA-DHIA genetic evaluations in February 1997 were documented. For the first time, records from plans coded 40-77, which include owner-sampler test plans, were used in evaluations. Dollar values of yield traits are now aimed at anticipated future prices and are constant instead of changing each year to the previous year's prices. The new formula for the milk-fat-protein dollars index is .031(PTA milk) + .80(PTA fat) + 2.00(PTA protein). Two new variables for bull evaluations are percentage of daughters with first lactations from plans coded 40-77 and mean inbreeding coefficient of daughters. For cows, a new format was adopted and includes country code in the identification fields, sum of lactation weights, and percentile based on net merit dollars. Release dates for USDA-DHIA evaluations were changed to February and August to coincide with evaluations from the International Bull Evaluation Service (INTERBULL). Evaluations from USDA are official for all bulls with a USDA-DHIA reliability of 1) at least 80% or 2) less than 5% below their INTERBULL reliability. Evaluations for bulls designated by artificial insemination (AI) organizations as being actively marketed were included in the listing for active AI bulls if the bulls were progeny tested in the United States or if their USDA-DHIA evaluation reliability was at least 80% regardless of country of initial sampling. A bull's INTERBULL evaluation was reported on the active AI list if it qualified as official. Additional releases of USDA-DHIA genetic evaluations are planned for May and November. Correspondence and research reports related to genetic evaluations are available through the Animal Improvement Program Laboratory home page (http://aipl.arsusda.gov).