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Title: GENETIC CALVING EASE STUDY ON CROSSBREDS

Author
item Cole, John
item GOODLING, R - PENN STATE EXTENSION
item Wiggans, George
item Vanraden, Paul

Submitted to: Jersey Journal
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2006
Publication Date: 3/15/2006
Citation: Cole, J.B., Goodling, R.C., Wiggans, G.R., Van Raden, P.M. 2006. Genetic calving ease study on crossbreds. Jersey Journal. 53(3):83-84.

Interpretive Summary: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementing routine national calving ease genetic evaluations of Brown Swiss and Jersey sires that include records of crossbred calvings. Records were available for 11,793 Brown Swiss calvings, 3,431 Brown Swiss-sired crosses, 65,293 Jersey calvings and 7,090 Jersey-sired crosses. Results show that Jersey cows had very little calving difficulty and Jersey bulls had a very small range of evaluations. This suggests that a routine Jersey evaluation would be of little value to Jersey producers because differences amont sires are very small.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementing routine national calving ease genetic evaluations of Brown Swiss and Jersey sires that include records of crossbred calvings. Records were available for 11,793 Brown Swiss calvings, 3,431 Brown Swiss-sired crosses, 65,293 Jersey calvings and 7,090 Jersey-sired crosses. Results show that Jersey cows had very little calving difficulty and Jersey bulls had a very small range of evaluations. This suggests that a routine Jersey evaluation would be of little value to Jersey producers because differences amont sires are very small.